Greendale town
by YesIAm030
Summary: Jeff is the sheriff of Greendale town, and a sworn bachelor to boot. When a new beautiful teacher comes to town, and she's a widow, will his resolve stand? Let's face it: probably yes. It's Jeff and Annie, after all. (Wild West A J fanfic, because how could I not?)
1. Polite

**Alternative summary:** The world needs a Jeff Annie romantic fanfic set in the Wild West, so I delivered. If you seek historic accuracy, steer away. But for fun and romance with the most attractive couple and our gang, you've come to the right place.

 **AN:** just one and then I'm done, I hope. I rated this T because of mature situation like sexual harassment, possible miscarriage and heavy mentions of lemons (though not actual lemons, because I rather not go there). The situations are not in this chapter though, but it's in the future. Overall I intend this to be a light-hearted, heart-warming fic that sometimes stray into drama, because we need drama sometimes, okay? So don't panic, this is just a fair warning.

Also, English is not my main language. Take it as you will.

Hope you like and enjoy (and if you do please let me know)!

:::

Chapter One

Jeff woke up from the noisy breathing, not to mention snoring, of Michelle. Yes, she was inclined to snore at times, but he used it to his advantage. He glanced at the window, and since he was able to see the outline of the curtain Michelle had stretched the previous night, he knew it was time to butt out.

He slipped out of bed with the agility of a seasoned cat, found his clothes and pulled his pants up his legs. Upon reaching the door he pulled on his boots, and while he strode across the sleepy town, just before the people began their day, he slipped on his shirt and buttoned it. He ran his hand through his hair several times, and by the time he reached the sheriff's office his clothes were taut on his body, his shirt tucked into his pants and every hair was in its as-if-I'm-not-trying place. He knew that apart from Michelle nobody could guess that he hadn't spent the night at his house.

But he suspected that they had a bit of a clue.

It didn't matter; he was Greendale's sheriff, chosen unanimously by all citizens after the great raid, ten years ago. When he led the resistance and chased the bandits away from town, the entirety of Greendale cheered him. He was a charismatic, strong and clever chap, and since the town's former sheriff was killed by the bandits before Jeff came to the rescue, he was the obvious choice. The people in town were pleased with his services, let alone adored him, and there were far more difficult things for Jeff Winger than to be adored.

Troy was not yet in the office, and it was just as well. Jeff sat down at the sheriff's desk, kicked up his feet on the desk and pulled out a knife. When Troy has finally arrived, he found him sharpening his knife on a piece of leather.

"Sheriff, you're needed in the bank."

"Good morning to you too," Jeff nodded at his deputy and continued to sharpen the knife at leisure. Troy shifted impatiently.

"Yes, good morning, good morning! You must come quickly, two men started fighting at the bank and if you won't come it will come to blows!"

Jeff sighed and stood up slowly, laying the knife on the table and stretching. "You would think they could do without me for at least a few minutes in the morning?" He asked Troy.

"Not really," Troy shook his head. "Not when you live in a town where Pierce lives..."

Jeff tensed. "It's Pierce?"

Troy shrugged. "Didn't I tell you?"

"No!" And Jeff was out of the office and marching, almost running, to the bank in the middle of town. "Pierce, you idiot, what have you done this time?" He grumbled. When he reached the bank a crowd was forming, and the two rivals, Pierce and Hickey, were orbiting each other with raised fists. Jeff saw with relief that none of them had yet to struck. "Wait, wait, there is no need to quarrel!" Duncan shouted from behind the counter, his British accent stronger than usual in his distress. Jeff made his way through the crowd that surrounded them and stood between them, placed his hands on each of their shoulders. He made sure to put a sufficient distance between them so they won't be able to throw punches at each other (although they could at him, but he was willing to risk it. Hickey respected the law too much to hit the sheriff and Pierce... well, Pierce was Pierce).

"Gentlemen," Jeff raised his voice, and the crowd fell silent. "There is no need to fight. Everything can be resolved peacefully."

"Tell that to him-"

"I only wanted-"

"One at a time," Jeff interrupted them. "Hickey, you go first."

"First he cut me in line, then insulted my sister!"

"Well, well, I only remarked that if you had a better income she might not have to go where she goes..."

"Shut your stinking old mouth!" Hickey demanded and almost leaped forward, only Jeff's grip on his shoulder stopped him.

"I don't..." Jeff really wanted to rub his face impatiently, instead he settled for eye rolling. "Hickey, you're right, and Pierce should apologize."

"I object..."

"Pierce, a quick reminder, I'm still the sheriff, and I have every right to put you in the cell until further notice." He said that close to Pierce's face, but the latter clamped his mouth in a thin line and crossed his arms over his chest, offended. "Pierce..." Jeff sighed. He was an infantile of an old man, and this kind of people you had to handle like children. Luckily, Jeff knew them both and he knew how to handle them, especially Pierce. "We both know you're doing well financially, and it's okay, everyone knows that. Even Hickey. You don't need to remind others that they're poor just to feel good about yourself, okay?" Pierce huffed, but turned to look at him.

Jeff straightened. "Hickey, tell me something."

"Huh?"

"It is true that Pierce is rich?"

"Why do you ask me? Everyone knows Pierce is rich. Only thanks to his father..." But Jeff has already turned to the other old man. "Pierce, perhaps apologize to Hickey now?" Pierce huffed again but relented. "Hickey, I'm sorry." He even offered his hand to shake.

Hickey was so surprised that he took the offered hand and shook it, and Jeff grinned. "It's easier when we're all friends, isn't it?" He questioned and shot a charming smile at both sides. "And now, Hickey would go first to the counter-" and when Pierce intended to object added "-because I said so, and Pierce will go next." He finally let go from their shoulders.

On his way back to the sheriff's office he detected Abed.

"Sheriff Winger, Sheriff Winger!" The skinny guy waved at him.

Jeff rolled his eyes at the journalist, and changed his course to include talking to him. "Hey, Abed, what's up?"

"I'll tell you what's up!" Abed was talking fast and nodding enthusiastically, waving a rolled-up newspaper in his hand. Jeff assumed that it's news from the paper, but it wasn't. "I heard from Vicki who heard it from Neil who heard it from Shirley that a new teacher will be arriving to town today." Jeff nodded. The old teacher had married and moved to live further north, in the mountains, and the mayor has been seeking a new teacher for the children of the town for a while. "She will live at Shirley's, that's how Shirley knew about it."

"It's fascinating Abed, but why are you telling me this?"

"I'm the journalist, Jeff; I am responsible for passing on to all characters any relevant information that will advance the plot. I've told you this, last month." Jeff rolled his eyes. Abed wrote in the newspaper, but he also wanted to be a writer, and was obsessed with the rules of fiction, to the point where he referred to his life as a storybook. It was annoying, true, but completely harmless. Jeff learned to ignore it, especially since Abed was very good friends with Troy and visited the sheriff's office quite often.

"So this information is relevant to me how?..." Jeff asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"You're the most desired bachelor in town, a new broad comes to town, I figured you'd like to know."

"Abed, I think I am all set in the broads' department."

"Yes, but you haven't heard all of it." Jeff sighed inaudibly and tapped his foot, crossing his arms and waiting for the journalist's next words. "She's a young widow, around my and Troy's age, her husband was killed in the war three years ago, she taught children in her husband's church, and from what I gather..." Abed leaned forward and put his hand to the side of his mouth as if to confide in him. "She is supposed to be a real beauty, the kind you don't see much around these parts of the country."

"Shirley had said that?" Jeff was skeptical. Shirley was the innkeeper, a married mother of three boys, and very religious. She was conservative and opinionated, and Jeff doubted that she will distribute rumors about a young woman's appearance, much less before the woman even arrived at Greendale.

"I'm merely passing on what I heard." Abed shrugged.

"Well, that's very nice, I'm glad I stopped to talk to you, Abed." Jeff rolled his shoulders and prepared to go. Abed didn't seem to take offence, but the guy's face usually expressed little to no emotion. "I just thought you should know because you are the coveted bachelor, and she's a beautiful bachelorette, I wanted to warn you in advance."

"I appreciate it," Jeff touched the brim of his hat and turned away.

"Don't let the story carry you away!" Abed called after him and Jeff shook his head in pity. What goes through that boy's mind, god knows. But Troy seemed to like him, and he really was very clever, when he wasn't talking straight nonsense.

:::

The sun was in mid-sky, and Jeff was sitting on the porch of the office, his feet resting on the railing, when the coach arrived. It parked some distance away from the sheriff's office, but the building was located near the entrance town where Jeff could keep an eye on everything that's going on at the street. The cloud of dust began its descending when the driver jumped from his seat and headed to take down the bags from the back. The passenger door opened and remained ajar without Jeff seeing the person standing there, until the driver finished taking off all the suitcases and found time to help his passenger to get off the coach.

A gloved hand gripped the driver's calloused one, and a young woman in a puffed black dress descended the stairs delicately. She landed with a light thud on the dirt road, and slid her palms over her skirt. She was holding a purse and opened it to give the driver a few bills. Even up on porch Jeff's eyes registered how the puffy skirt and figure hugging bodice emphasized a narrow waist, and the décolletage revealed alabaster shoulders and the slightest hint of a very interesting bust. When his eyes finally left this part of her, he thought fleetingly that Abed knew what he was talking about; her features were lovely, with huge blue eyes, carved rosy lips and shiny mahogany curls that framed her face perfectly.

She thanked the driver and the man tipped his cap before jumping to his seat and driving away, and she was left alone with the bags by the roadside. Jeff saw her waving her hand and thought he heard her call, 'Wait!' But the driver had already left town. Jeff sympathized with him; he would leave immediately to return home too, if he lived as far away as the man.

Before the thought to stand up even crossed his mind, Abed strolled up to her. Jeff assumed he had come to visit Troy, either that or he had divine knowledge about the arrival time of the new teacher and he came to see her for himself. Both options were likely.

:::

"Hello, you must be the new teacher!" The dark skinned lad nodded at her, and Annie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes, that is me, Miss Annie Edison. Nice to meet you."

"Abed Nadir, journalist, and writer in my spare time." She smiled earnestly and Abed observed that she was more polite than most, or what was more logical, she didn't know him yet and therefore still had patience for him.

"Everything all right? You seem lost."

"I am lost," she admitted. "The driver took me here and left me to manage myself... I have these heavy bags, and I need to get to Shirley's inn and I don't know where it is located..." She shook her head. "I am sorry if this is too much of a bother to ask for your help..."

"Not really, no." Abed stood in front of her and cocked his head, studying her thoughtfully, remarkably owl-like. When the silence lengthened a frown creased Annie's eyebrows. "So... will you help me?"

"Yes, of course." The guy snapped out of his temporary trance and rotated by ninety degrees. "Sheriff! Sheriff Winger! Over here! A damsel in distress needs your help!" She turned to look and observed a few houses away a building with a sheriff star on the front, behind which a man was standing up from a chair. The sun was high in the sky and in the shade it was hard to see, even when she squinted. When he came down from the porch and headed toward them she had the opportunity to have a better look at him, and fortunately enough time to recover as well.

He walked lazily but quickly on long lean limbs, his thumbs stuck in his belt. She tried not to stare, but she feared she failed horribly. He was handsome, almost too handsome. Taller than her, at least a head higher, broad chest and defined muscles, visible through his shirt and beneath his brown vest. His face was partially shadowed beneath a wide-brimmed cowboy hat, but she saw the strong jaw-line with a shadow of stubble, a straight, almost sharp nose, an easy smile flashed at her while he progressed to them. When he halted in front of her she glanced up and his eyes studied her so piercingly, she forgot to breathe for a moment.

"Did you call for me, Abed?" his voice was warm like hot chocolate on a wintery day and she prayed to not melt then and there. _So what if he's as handsome as the devil himself? Get yourself together, Annie, you're not a brainless maiden!_

"Yes, Sheriff Winger, this is the new teacher I told you about." The man turned to look at her again and Annie barely acknowledged the words of Abed, who continued, "She was left by herself with this heavy luggage and she needs to get to Shirley's. Can you help her?"

The sheriff broke away from her to glimpse at the two cases, lying six feet away from them, where the driver had placed them. On her own she won't be able to pick up even one, she knew, but both were full of things she absolutely needed. Yes, dresses were a significant part of the volume, but the other part was textbooks and fiction books. She couldn't give up a single pound of weight, and she knew it well, seeing as the majority of her belongings was left behind in Thornton. Everything she brought was necessary, and for that reason she was willing to endure the inconvenience of heavy bags on a journey from Thornton to Greendale.

"I apologize deeply for the trouble," she found her voice, when his gaze no longer seared her soul. "I was sure he would leave me at Shirley's inn and then I will manage by myself, maybe carry them one by one, but he never even asked and I..." she caught herself before she started an all-out rambling."Can you help me?" She asked in a tiny voice that always helped her get what she wanted from men, and that included her late husband. With the addition of a sweet and hopeful smile she prayed that he would agree.

"I usually don't carry bags for new teachers..." he began, and the other two held their breath for him to continue."But for you I will make an exception." He grinned revealing his white teeth and Annie thought, _oh no, I'm not the only one with proven tricks to charm the opposite sex._ This time she smiled in earnest and clapped. "Oh, how fortunate that I met you!" she delighted. "And thank you too..."

"Abed. Abed Nadir. And this is Jeffrey Winger, the sheriff."

"Yes, thank you." She blushed, embarrassed to have forgotten his name, but he didn't seem to mind. "Abed. I guess I'll see you..." She waved in general about the town.

"See you." He nodded. "Bye, Jeffrey, I'll tell Troy that you went to play your role in the story."

"Bye," the sheriff had already turned to her bags. He scanned them for a few seconds, and then loaded a bag on each shoulder, groaning under the weight. Annie hurried over.

"I'm so sorry... I really thought..." she started to say when he began to walk, and she was quick to walk beside him.

"No need to apologize, Mrs. ..."

"Edison," she reminded him. "And it's Miss." Before he'd thinks that she was hitting on him (she totally wasn't), she quickly clarified, "When I married I was Mrs. Stephenson but I decided to go back to my maiden name, Stephenson didn't feel right anymore after Rich..." She broke off, partly because she didn't want to recall the end of her marriage, and partly because she realized she was rambling again.

"I'm sorry, you don't want to hear all that." She had to speed up her gait to meet his wide strides, but when he noticed it he reduced his pace to match hers.

"It's all right, Miss Edison, you don't have to apologize." He flashed her that brilliant smile of his and she was stunned again. They needed to prohibit such men to walk freely; he caused her brain to malfunction.

"I…" she cleared her throat. "So you're the sheriff, Mr. Winger?"

"That's what they say." He confirmed with a nod and adjusted the bags at his shoulders. She knew what the weight of the bags was, and was deeply impressed by the fact that the heaviness didn't bother him, and didn't force him to go slower. _His arm muscles seemed so prominent in that shirt... Stop it!_ She chided herself. What was happening to her? Could she be finally emerging from the coma she imposed on her body ever since Rich got killed? She glanced down at her black dress and thought it might be time to say goodbye to the black in favor of other colors, the dark purples, and then the blues. If she reacted so strongly to a strong male, maybe she was ready to think again about marriage. Not at the exact moment, neither in a month nor two, but sometime in the future.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. Rosy blush covered her cheeks and she lowered her eyes to the road, her eyelashes like butterflies resting on her cheeks. She really was a vision, and he was surprised to learn how much he enjoyed watching her face. Abed was right to warn him, after all.

She was beautiful, and charming, and well-mannered, and intelligent if she was asked to undertake the education of Greendale's younglings, but it meant nothing to Jeff, because one thing was clear to him. She was a widow and she sought to remarry, so he had to run away from her like the plague. He was interested in her, oh yes, certainly. But he must not be blinded because of mere lust. He didn't want to get married, and until now he found women who were happy to satisfy his appetite without demanding nuptials from him. And the reason was that they were already married, so they never expected him to marry them. These women know exactly what they agreed to when they invited him to their bed.

Take Michelle Slater, for instance.

Slater was attractive in a snotty way, she was close to Jeff's age, with a teenage son who left town and husband that was in the Senate and therefore visited Greendale next to never. She was bored and lonely, and she might have loved her husband, but he wasn't there. And Jeff was. She flirted shamelessly, and soon he found himself in her bed, which was a convenient arrangement for both of them. She received her entertainment from him, and he got a woman who didn't expect anything from him other than a bit of fun every now and then.

It was perfect, and it worked for him.

In the case that Slater's husband ever came back to town, or worse, died, Jeff would disappear from her life, and they both knew it. He would not mix bed sheets of a woman whose husband was available, and he did not mess around with widows, as those almost always wanted to get married again, and as soon as possible.

The new teacher, the young and pretty Miss Edison, she wasn't different from them. She flirted with him, kept a secretive smile, fluttered her eyelashes and asked him about the city and his work in a sweet voice, and he knew she was interested in him. He saw her blush when he smiled at her, and the way her hands were tightly clasped, as if holding herself from touching him. But it will have to remain a flirtation only; he didn't want a wife, not now, not ever.

He told her that the town was usually peaceful, but like any town these days, there was always the danger of bandits. Fortunately bandits hadn't reached the town for the last ten years, since the great raid; hence his work was relatively easy. She asked if he knew about the education of the city's children, but of course he had no idea. He asked from which city she was and whether she didn't want to stay there.

Miss Edison shook her head in a manner that rocked the curls on the nape of her neck. "I couldn't stay in Thornton after Rich... It was too difficult. I needed a fresh start," she admitted. "And since I always wanted to teach properly, I was pleased when I was offered to come here... It is a great opportunity to teach children about the world, don't you think?"

Until they reached the inn he already knew everything he needed to know. The fair Miss Addison was straight as an arrow, her dead husband was perfect and noble (he died a heroic death, and if that was not enough, he was a damn priest!) And she probably wanted to find a new husband who'd resemble the old one (most of these were hefty assumptions but he tended to trust his instincts in such matters).

Jeff Winger was indeed the sheriff, but he wasn't husband material, and certainly not an honorary man that Miss Edison expected her husband to be. And although he would gladly invite her to his bed, maybe spend a couple of days with her there, he wouldn't do so because he knew that the offer won't be welcomed. Miss Edison was like Shirley Bennett in her conservative ways and meticulous gaze about what was appropriate and what wasn't. Jeff's actions were not appropriate in Shirley's eyes, even though she liked him well enough, and he knew that they won't be appropriate in the eyes of the new teacher. He made up his mind to never make any move on her.

"Here we are," he announced, dismantled the two bags from his shoulders and knocked on the door of the inn. Shirley opened the door, a baby on her hip and a smile on her lips. "Sheriff! What have you brought us?"

"Miss Edison," he told her, gesturing at the woman who was half behind him.

"Miss Edison!" she claimed brightly.

"Please, call me Annie."

"Annie! Come in, come in, we were waiting for you, you must be tired from the journey, come have something to drink..." Shirley urged her inside, and then turned to Jeff.

"I carried her bags," he explained, pointing his thumb at the bags on either side.

She nodded. "Great, take them upstairs."

"Hey, wait a minute-" she had already left him at the entrance and went to serve water to her guest. Jeff was left alone with the bags, and he groaned. They were heavy! And yes, he was strong. He could lift them, he had all the muscle mass needed for this, but it was against his fierce desire to walk the easy way whenever possible. With a grunt he picked them up again, adjusting the straps on his shoulders, and went to put them on the second floor.

As he descended the stairs, after laying the two bags in the middle of the hallway (and thought: let Shirley handle them herself, or maybe let the new teacher handle them herself. He didn't care, as long as they let him be). When he got to the door the two women were just leaving the kitchen.

"And here we have the sitting room," Shirley showed Annie, who nodded enthusiastically. Shirley gave her a warm welcome, her smile was sincere and the offered water was cool and refreshing. Annie's concerns about the transition to a new city eased somewhat; Shirley seemed to like her from the start, and she was glad to know that she had at least one friend at Greendale.

"Sheriff, just a minute!" Shirley caught the handsome sheriff when he was standing at the open door. Annie was relieved to see him go; he definitely aroused too many distracting feelings in her, and she had no time for that right now. Not now, when she needed to get used to life in a new town and to a new job (but maybe later she would gladly explore these feelings in depth...). He turned slowly, flashing his charming smile to the two women, and Annie sighed inwardly. _Not now, I said! Silly woman._ Shirley grabbed his arm, and before he realized what she was doing she placed a biscuit in his hand.

"Thanks for helping Annie," she patted his arm. "For showing her the way, and for carrying her bags for her."

"Just doing my duty as sheriff," he closed his fingers on the cookie and folded his arms across his impressive chest. _Stop it!_

"Oh, that's nice," Shirley crooned.

"Thank you, Sheriff," Annie was able to gather her thoughts enough to give him a grateful smile, and held out her hand to shake his.

"You're welcome, Miss," and he took hold of her hand. But instead of shaking it goodbye, friendly-like, leaned over and kissed the back of her hand. She didn't know he was as equally surprised as her by the gesture, since he hid his surprise well beneath another dazzling grin. "See you around."

He disappeared before she could recover from the feeling of his lips searing her skin through the thin cloth of the glove.

He ran away before he could do something additionally stupid, perhaps something completely dumb like kissing her parted lips... Good thing he got out of there.

Shirley looked from the door swinging on its hinges, after Jeff had gone through it at the speed of a horse whose backside was afire, and between Annie who lifted her fingers to her lips and stared ahead with glazed eyes.

"Well, well, I'm glad we all started on the right foot," Shirley smirked.

:::


	2. Flirtatious

**AN:** Here's the next part! It might not be what you expected, but the whole story is already sitting in my head, so you'll have to bear with me...:)

Thank you for the reviews! I appreciate those immensely, they are what gives me the energy to keep writing!

Let me know what you think, and without further ado, here it is...

:::

Chapter Two

Annie lay in her bed in the inn, staring at the ceiling, her blanket pulled all the way up to her chin. There was a knock on the door.

"Miss Edison? Mom told me to wake you up." Elijah said through the door.

"Thank you Elijah, you can tell her I'm up." Annie replied and jumped out of bed. She got dressed in her black day dress and pinned her hair up, arranging the curls around the crown of her head, tied her shoes and gathered her books. Downstairs in the kitchen, Shirley gave her an apple and some bread, and the boys, Elijah and Jordan showed her the way to school.

Jordan walked beside her, his back upright as he nodded to people passing by, providing her with names and professions of those he knew. Annie nodded a hesitant smile, clasping her hands over her books. Some of them nodded back, so the butterflies in her stomach subsided a little. Elijah skipped beside them, pointing at buildings along the way and chatting enthusiastically, excited over the opportunity to introduce the new teacher to the other kids.

Annie arranged the books in parallel lines on the teacher's desk, and turned to look at her class. The room was full of children ages five to thirteen, some clean and ironed and some so dirty that only their eyes prevented them from looking like a walking heap of mud. But everyone was silent and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Good morning, children, I am Miss Edison, and I will be your new teacher," she began.

"Good morning, Miss Edison!" Wow, all right, these children were well mannered. It made her job much easier.

"We are going to study together English, calculus, history, literature and nature. What do you think, want to learn with me?"

"Yes!"

One child raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"Why are you not married, Miss Edison?"

Oh, personal questions. "I will tell you about it at the end of the day, all right?" There were cries of protest, but she ignored it and asked for their names instead.

The start has been good, the rest a bit less. She started to teach them reading, and found that most children already had a pretty good concept of reading. Then she spent the rest of the day in trial and error, until she was more or less sure about the extent of knowledge of the children. They were at different level of understanding, but more advanced than she originally thought. At the end of the day, as she'd promised, she told them about herself and answered their questions.

"Before I moved here I lived in the town of Thornton."

"Is it far away?"

"Do they have a bank too?"

"Were they not nice to you?" It was a boy with a mop of curls. She recalled his name was Benny.

"No, they were nice, but it was time for me to move on."

"Miss Edison?" whispered a little girl sitting in front row. "Yes?" Annie smiled encouragingly.

"What happened to your husband?"

"Well," Annie took a deep breath. "My husband was a soldier during the war, and as sometimes happens to soldiers in wars, unfortunately, he has not returned."

"Did God not love him?"

"No, no, on the contrary," Annie hastened to say. "He loved him so much, he chose to take him up to him, to heaven."

"The priest said that God loves us, would he take us too?" Asked another girl with wheat-colored braids.

"No, not at all!" Annie realized that she got herself into a corner, and decided it was time to change the subject. "Anyone wants to guess how old I am?"

They called out guesses, but mostly they had no clue. One of the children guessed the number twenty-four, and the other kids looked at him jealously for having answered the teacher's question.

They were good kids, all in all.

In the following days she memorized the way to class by heart, learned the names and the family background of most of the kids, and after two weeks in town she felt more confident as a teacher. On a Monday morning she walked in the sun, holding her books with both hands habitually, and reflected that it was a perfect day for a fieldtrip. The day before the children had told her about the pond near Greendale, and she was curious to go there. She had a book about insects and plants, and she thought it should be fun to go exploring a little.

The children were excited to show her the pond, and she enjoyed herself immensely. The air was cool by the water; the pond was surrounded by large trees that shaded them. The children brought her insects and plants, and gathered around her when she looked them up in the book, and then read out about their properties and appearance. The day was nearly claimed a success.

"Ahh!" a boy screamed, and several children ran to her from the other side of the pond. "Miss Edison, Miss Edison! Woody fell in a pit! He's hurt, Miss Edison!"

"Oh no," she gasped and hurried over. Indeed the boy fell into an unmarked pit, presumably for hunting. "Whoever digs a pit and leaves no warning sign?" she grumbled as she leaned over the edge of the pit and peered into it. Woody sat on the bottom of the pit and whimpered, clutching his crooked leg beneath him. "Woody, are you all right? Anything hurts?"

"Miss, my leg hurts!" She was able to figure out his sobs. She examined the leg warily, praying it wasn't broken. The pit was deep, perhaps two meters, and there was no clear way out of it. But Annie was not one to be exasperated about some height. After examining her options, she grabbed Dolly, a girl that have demonstrated agility, and told her to call the sheriff and tell him to bring a rope. She stressed the importance of the rope, and hoped the message got through. The girl took off running.

Annie remained sitting on the edge of the pit, the fabric of her skirt tied around her waist and her petticoats covering most of her legs. She tried to calm the crying Woody, and he did after a few minutes. She encouraged him to explore his surroundings, and when the sheriff arrived, his weeping subsided and he was telling Annie about insects around him in the pit, and asking in a faint voice whether she can find them in her book.

Annie looked up to see the sheriff, holding a coiled rope on his shoulder. He touched the brim of his hat. "Miss Edison." She nodded and sat upright, trying to appear more dignified. The two weeks since coming to town she did her best to avoid the sheriff's office. She occasionally saw him from afar, and they nodded to each other, but that was all. She preferred it that way, since she didn't like her reaction to him, but now there was no other option.

"What is it? Dolly was unclear, just told me I had to bring a rope."

"Woody here fell into the pit..." she pointed. "Woody, did you hear? The sheriff is here, he's going to get you out!" She told the boy. The sheriff examined the pit, the state of the boy, then tied the rope to a nearby tree. In a process which she could only describe as the embodiment of efficiency, he used the rope to descend into the pit carefully, picked up the boy and told him to grab his neck (Woody's hands weren't injured) and climbed back up. Annie stood up and dusted off her skirt, modestly releasing the overlaying fabric to cover her petticoats again.

"Oh thank you, thank you!" She was relieved when the boy was returned to them, mostly intact. When Jeff let him on the ground, the boy cried out in pain, and she hurried to check his leg. She carefully palmed the swollen flesh, wincing as she felt the bone. "I'm sorry, Woody, I'm afraid it's broken." She sent the other children home and turned to the sheriff, who was standing there in silence, chewing a piece of straw with his hands folded across his chest.

"Can you do me another favor?" She asked with a faint smile. He shrugged and took out the piece of hay from between his teeth. "Depends on the favor," He gave her a lopsided smile, and she felt her cheeks grow warm. _Yes, he still affects me a great deal, but nobody said he didn't._ "Can you take Woody to the doctor?"

On the way back to town Woody fell asleep in Jeff's arms, and Jeff preferred it that way. He hadn't expected to find himself strolling along with the new teacher, but every day in Greendale brought new surprises with it. He generally got used to it. She wore an adorned plum bonnet that shaded over her face, which was good, because the sun was strong in Greendale this time of year, and he figured she must have wanted to protect her perfectly white skin.

"So what were you doing at the pond?" Jeff wondered aloud.

Annie was surprised to hear him speak; she was willing to keep silent all the way to the doctor. But he asked, so she will answer. "We learned about insects and flowers, actually."

"I thought that school is a place for notebooks and pencils ..."

"It can be," she admitted with a shrug, "but it can also be a place for flowers and ponds."

"I'd say it's quite a romantic view of school..."

Romantic! "If so, then perhaps I am a romantic gal," she told him with a slight smile.

 _Good to know_ , he almost said, and stopped himself at the last minute. _It's not good to know, not at all, so don't even go there_. "School is a dark and scary place," he told her instead. "A place where you learn that the world is a cruel place and you have to be strong in order to survive."

"What?" She halted, then went faster as he walked on without waiting for her. "That is so not true! School is a place to expand horizons, make friends..."

"When I went to school, the teacher spanked with a ruler on the hands of those who didn't know all the answers."

"Is that true! When I went to school, the teacher handed out candies to teach us about addition and subtraction, and at the end of the day we ate them!" Her eyes flashed and he thought with amusement that she was mesmerizing even when her temper flared. Both were silent for a while.

"I guess we went to two very different schools," he decided. "Anyway, I'm glad to hear what type of school you plan for Greendale."

"Oh," she seemed appeased, even a little surprised. "Thank you," and her voice was almost too soft. Luckily, they arrived at the doctor, who received Woody and put the bone back in place. They each had a job helping the doctor: Jeff held the boy still and Annie held his hand, letting Woody crush her fingers with pain while the doctor fixed his leg. Afterward they took the boy back home, where his mother thanked them heartily, and frowned just a bit at the sight of the sheriff and the teacher standing together in her doorway.

Annie turned to him as soon as Woody's mother closed the door. "Thank you, Sheriff, I don't know what I would have done without you." She smiled and reached out to touch his arm absentmindedly. But when he looked at her hand on his arm, she blushed and removed it, folding her hands together to keep them from doing more things on their own accord.

Jeff looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"So we-"

"I'm not looking for a bride."

"What?!"

"I'm not... I don't intend on getting married. Ever."

"I - What makes you think -" She flushed with embarrassment and inexplicable anger. "I wasn't suggesting -"

"I know, I know. I'm single, and I'm not getting any younger, but I'm not going to get married. Just wanted to let you know."

Annie was able to find her words at last. "Indeed! Sheriff Winger, I appreciate your honesty, but I wasn't trying to hit on you, let alone marry you."

"You were definitely hitting on me ..."

"I don't..." she almost lost her patience. "You're a handsome man, okay? If I smile at you it doesn't mean I'm trying to put a ring on your finger."

"I know I'm handsome..." his smile widened. "Most women are aware of this, and it's completely understandable."

"You!..." She didn't know what to make of him. "There is no limit to your arrogance! I merely meant to say that I don't expect anything from you... For God's sake, we were only talking..."

"Maybe you think that now, but I could clearly see what you were thinking."

What nerve! She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot, puffing irritably. "Okay, you know what? Okay. I made a mental note that you don't wish to get married, erased you from the list of potential suitors. Are you pleased?"

His smile told her he was too pleased, to the point of smug. "So you admit I was on the list..."

"I made the list up! It didn't exist until now!"

"But I was on it..."

She restrained herself from slapping him. "For your information, I am not looking for a husband, so your warning was wasted on me. I'm perfectly fine with my current state, thank you very much."

Oh, this changed everything. If she wasn't looking for a husband she might want to consider having an affair with him... On second thought, at this moment steam was coming out of her ears, and her eyes shot lightning at him, maybe it wasn't the best time to offer something like that. A second later he remembered that she actually was a respectable woman, and she probably wouldn't jump at the offer even if she was beaming at that moment. It was such a shame, really.

"Aren't you going to apologize?"

"About what?"

"You..." She rolled her eyes. "Sheriff Winger, it was very nice talking to you, thanks for all your help, goodbye." She spat out the words and turned away.

"Wait," his voice stopped her. "Miss Edison, I'm not sure why, but I can see that I've upset you, and I apologize." She raised her eyes to his, and his gaze was so sincere that she gave in. "Please?" He pleaded.

"Yes, I forgive you..." She relented.

"That's good, because I couldn't have done my job thinking that Miss Edison was annoyed with me." She rolled her eyes and for the first time since she had met him, his charming grin didn't cause her stomach to tighten.

A minute passed as they stared at each other, and finally Jeff scratched the back of his neck. "So... okay. Yeah. Good day."

He managed to step away a few meters before he heard her answer. "Good day, Sheriff." she muttered under her breath, "I hope you won't encounter too many women trying to marry you against your will." He wanted to turn around and answer her, but she was too far away.

He had a feeling that maybe it didn't go as smooth as it could.

:::

Shirley really loved to gossip.

Annie found out after she went downstairs to the kitchen one day, found herself helping the innkeeper to peel vegetables, and stayed for the conversation. In the following days she went to buy groceries in the market, washed the dishes, mended socks and generally spent more and more time with Shirley, and it was impossible to talk to her without noticing Shirley's uncontrollable love for discussing everything that's happening in the town and the people it was happening to.

After Annie told her about her encounter with Jeff, Shirley told her what she knew of his love life. Annie sighed as she realized that the sheriff, who at first she believed to be a respectable man, preferred to stay away from single women and spent his nights with married women. The fact that he stayed away from virgins didn't help much. "He was too good to be true," she mused and Shirley agreed.

Shirley told her about Pierce, how he inherited all of his money from his father, and ever since he was just going around town, trying to buy everything. She told her that the mayor was once caught wearing women's clothing but the whole town preferred to pretend it never happened, because no one had the energy to choose a new mayor. She told her which married couples had domestic problems, which had too many children and which didn't have them at all. Annie learned way too quickly way too much about the town, and after overcoming her disappointment of the sheriff, she found herself enjoying every minute.

"Everything all right, pumpkin?" Shirley asked one day, cutting a thread with her teeth after she'd finished stitching a tear in Jordan's pants. Annie held one of Shirley's petticoats in her hand, unmoving. She stared into space, and Shirley noticed it only after her story about a prisoner who was hiding in town two years ago received no response.

"Huh? Yes, yes, I..."

"Everything fine at school?"

"Yes, yes, the kids are wonderful."

Shirley nodded. "Elijah tells me he likes calculus, and he never liked calculus. I'm very impressed, Annie." Annie smiled gingerly. "Thanks, but I think that it's because one of the girls in class likes calculus as well..."

"Don't be modest, I heard from Caitlin's mother that she's pleased with your work, too."

Annie straightened. "Really? Good to hear. I wasn't sure..." She broke off again, staring ahead.

"So what is it, sugar?"

"I..." she turned to Shirley. "You know Nicole?"

Shirley hummed, "Woody's mother, isn't she?"

"Yes. She... she came by today to take him from school, and ignored me when I said hello."

"Are you sure?"

"I am, I told Woody goodbye and he waved, so she could surely hear me, but it was as if she didn't want to talk to me..."

"Strange." Shirley shrugged.

"It is, and a few days ago I met Quandra, and she told me that she doesn't appreciate the way I take care of the children."

"Quandra?" Shirley was surprised. She was a nice woman, married to the butcher. Always made sure that her husband would supply Shirley's inn with fresh meat.

"It's just a matter of time, they need get used to your style."

"Shirley, I don't think it's a matter time... Nicole is not the only one that ignores me. I actually prefer the ones that ignore me, because those that don't..." She studied her hands. "Truth is, Shirley, you're the only woman in town who treats me kindly."

"Where is this coming from? You haven't said anything until now. Yesterday you went to the dressmaker, and didn't mention anything."

"Yes, the truth is she wasn't a bed of roses either." Annie sighed at the memory. "I didn't want to tell you, but when I went to the dressmaker she was so rude that I left without ordering the dress I wanted..." She intended to order a purple dress, to mark the end of her mourning period, but eventually gave up on it.

"What did she say?"

"She took my measures and just... you know how you can imply insults? Well, she told me things like, 'you might want to keep an eye on the amount of cookies you eat', just as she was measuring my waist, or 'wow, such wide feet'."

"I cannot believe my ears!"

"Yes, and the other women in the store just kept silent and said nothing to her."

"Are you sure they heard her?"

"I'm sure. She spoke quite loudly. When I wanted to look at the fabrics, she told me she didn't like serving 'townies', and I just couldn't. So I walked out."

"I'm sorry Annie, I was sure that Greendale crowd knew how to welcome new people..." Shirley shook her head.

"It's not the Greendale crowd," Annie surprised her. "Only the women. The men are all very nice. The butcher has given me extra meat for you, didn't you see?"

"Come to think of it..." Shirley tilted her head.

"In fact, they are more than just nice; they are polite, courteous, and go out of their way to help me. I have no complaints, really." Annie smiled halfheartedly.

Shirley stared at her intently. Annie was still wearing her shoulder-revealing black dresses, and looked even more radiant than the day she came to Greendale. Her alabaster skin contrasted sharply with the dark hue of the dress, which further highlighted her curves. She pictured her walking around the market, talking with men and asking for their help.

"Annie, when you turn to a man for help, how do you do it?"

Annie raised an eyebrow. "What? You mean... how?"

"Humor me for a moment; pretend I'm a man you need to help you."

Annie shrugged and straightened up, then got into it. She leaned toward Shirley, smiling her most charming smile, and said, "Hello, Mr. Bennett, may I have just one minute of your time?"

Shirley raised her eyebrows and exhaled. "Oh Lord, I definitely see it."

"What?" Annie sat back normally, like a deflated pillow. "What do you see?"

"Annie, don't be offended by this, but... I think you're flirting with men to get what you want."

"I... what?" Annie was shocked. "But I merely smile!"

Shirley gestured with her head to the straight posture of the teacher. "You don't hesitate to use the goods either."

Annie gasped indignantly, putting her hand over her heart (and over her cleavage). "Why, I never -"

"Oh, honey, I'm not saying you're doing it on purpose, but the other women don't know that."

Annie stood up, leaving the cloth on the chair. "I won't hear it, Shirley. Mend your own petticoat." And she stormed away.

Shirley shook her head, mumbling, "the girl will have to learn how to behave herself."

:::

Annie was packing the cookies Shirley has sent with her to school. The children didn't finish all of them (she had a 'one cookie per child' rule) and she knew she would have to pass through the sheriff's office. She cursed Shirley internally for making her promise to give the cookies to the sheriff and his deputy if there were any leftovers. Shirley was a great believer in showing gratitude towards the people of the law.

Annie tied the ribbons of her bonnet under her chin and left the classroom.

A few steps later she paused, since around the corner stood two women deep in conversation. They didn't see Annie and she froze, deciding in a heartbeat not to force a frontal encounter with the women until things calm down a bit. She stood against the wall and waited for them to go away, so she could be on her way.

"That teacher, what is she thinking!"

"Right."

"Those dresses, have you seen them? It's as if she's asking for it!"

Annie recognized Nicole and Vicky's voices. She glanced at her dress; it wasn't very different from their dresses, except hers was black. Whatever did she mean?...

"Amen." Vicky shook her head with exaggerated shock.

"The way she shamelessly flaunts her body..." Nicole continued. "And have you seen how she behaves when a man looks at her? It's embarrassing!" Annie clamped her arms around herself as she began to think she should've gone another route, because right now all she wanted to do was turn into a mouse and disappear.

"I haven't, but I've heard."

Nicole didn't pay much attention, she had a monologue she intended to finish in entirety. "I've heard about widows, you know?"

"What exactly have you heard -?"

"They don't have a man of their own, so they long for a man to fill the vacuum. Any man. And they know it would make no difference to future husbands that they are not virgins, so they just do whatever they want..."

Vicki wasn't sure how to react. "Ah..."

"Have you seen what she did to my Woody? She took the kids to the pond, with no additional supervision, no nothing. He broke his leg!"

"Yes, it's dreadful, I told Quandra what I think of it -"

"And she and the sheriff brought him back home, don't think I haven't seen the way she looked at him! She has no shame."

Vicky was still trying to insert her ideas to the conversation. "But the sheriff is single..."

"Yes, and he told her he wasn't going to get married! I heard them." Annie straightened. _Really?_

"Really?" Vicky was surprised too.

"Yes! And you know what she told him? That she doesn't intend to get married too!"

"So?" Vicky tried to keep up.

"So? So? She dresses the way she dresses, openly hits on our husbands and doesn't intend to get married! It's very clear Vicky, very clear. I won't let my husband speak to her, and I would advise you to do the same."

Vicky nodded. "Yes, you're right. I'll pass it to the other women."

They parted and went on their way, and Annie continued to the sheriff's office. She was desperate to return to the inn, but a mission was a mission, and if Shirley asked her to give the law enforcers some cookies, damn her if she won't do just that. She forced her eyes not to tear up and walked briskly to the sheriff's office.

The deputy, Mr. Barnes was there and his eyes lit up when he saw what she had brought. "I love Shirley's cookies!" He beamed. He took the plate from her and held it to his chest like a baby. "I'll keep some for Jeff -" Annie smiled hesitantly, not feeling at ease smiling her usual smile, still shocked by the exchange she had heard. For God's sake, she didn't even know who Nicole's husband was! Not to mention if she smiled at him or not… She turned away and bumped into the sheriff who had just entered the room.

"Whoa! Miss Edison? Are you okay?" He held her shoulders at arm's length. She looked up at him and saw only concern in his face, and she found it surprisingly comforting.

"Yes, I am fine. Thank you Sheriff."

"What brings you here?" He asked. When someone came visiting the sheriff, it usually meant there was trouble.

"Cookies!" The deputy almost sang behind her back. She didn't see him waving the plate at Jeff, but Jeff did. "If you don't hurry, Jeff, there won't be anything left for you!" Troy warned, and shoved two more cookies in his mouth.

"Yes," Annie shook her head, distracted. "Cookies. From Shirley. She asked me to bring you if there are any leftovers. And there were, so..." She stepped around the sheriff who was still standing in front of her, and was going to leave right away, go home and talk to Shirley, or better still, fall into bed and forget about the whole thing with Nicole and Vicky.

"Just a minute, Miss Edison..." The sheriff's voice stopped her and she turned to him reluctantly. "Yes?"

"Are we..." He waved at the air between them. "Look, I'm really sorry, is there any chance you could forget what I said when we talked the other day?"

For a moment she just stared at him blankly, then remembered. "Oh, yes, yes..." she was so upset with him then, but now she couldn't remember why she cared so much.

"Yes?" He asked hopefully, and her heart went out to him. He seemed so eager to please...

"Yes, I suppose so..." she said slowly. "I certainly would love to forget about it."

"Excellent..." he exhaled in relief. "I'd like it if we could be... if not friends, at least friendly, Miss Edison, if it's fine with you."

She did not expect the smile that stretched her cheeks, but his sincerity and his apparent desire to make her like him touched her, especially when she felt so vulnerable and insignificant. "Yes, Sheriff, that's fine by me."

"Cool. Cool, cool, cool." Abed made them both lurch with surprise. They turned to see the journalist inside the jail cell, sitting on the bed, watching them.

"Abed, what are you doing here?" Jeff asked in a confused frustration.

"I was here all along. Troy let me lie here in order to learn how it feels to be imprisoned. You haven't noticed me, and I saw no need to disturb you." Jeff stared at him. "Which reminds me..." Abed continued. "Troy, leave a cookie for me! The sheriff wouldn't want a cookie, but I will."

"No problem, buddy!" The deputy called from the other room. Jeff rubbed his eyes, "Abed, get out of there."

Annie took the opportunity to mark her departure. "Goodbye everyone, Mr. Barnes, Mr. Nadir, Sheriff," she nodded at them. "Enjoy the cookies. Good day."

And she fled.

:::


	3. Dignified

**AN:** a bit of a discussion: Annie isn't Jewish in this fanfic. She's half Jewish in the show, but it never shows (except for her being annoyed when people say Jew without the -ish and that one time when she celebrated Hanukkah). So I felt it's okay to give her a 'religion-lift'. Honestly, did anybody even notice?

I'm especially sensitive when characters are said to be Jewish and never show it in any way, since I am very Jewish myself. In the setting of this story, if she would have been Jewish it would give the two of them a whole new set of problems, since Jewish people for centuries avoided marrying gentiles, to the point that it was utterly unthinkable for them. Also, if I wanted to go that rout, she would have to be like the Hasidic women of today, which are super religious and very innocent and closed off. And that's not a story I want to tell, about the 'naïve Jewish girl' and the 'shmexy gentile stud' that teaches her about love, nope! Those are ridicules stories and sometimes downright offensive to women… you know what I mean?

So I just made her Christian. End of story.

Enough religion nonsense that you don't want to hear: here is the next part, it's got a lot going on and I believe that by the end you'll understand why.

Thank you for the reviews! I love hearing what you think of my ideas about the story and the characters… keep them coming!

Enjoy:)

:::

Chapter Three

Shirley shook her head sadly. "Some women are not confident in their marriage, nothing we can do about it."

"I don't even know who Nicole's husband is..." She buried her head in the pillow in her lap. They were both in her room; Annie sat on her bed and Shirley on the only chair in the room, opposite the desk.

"Oh, that's Kyle; he works at the bank..."

Annie's voice was muffled through the pillow. "That's not helping, Shirley!"

"Oh, sorry." Shirley shook her head. "That's what they said? That you don't want to get married?"

"It's not exactly..." Annie lowered the pillow. "It's not accurate. I do want to get married again someday, if I meet a suitable man that I like." Shirley sat beside her on the bed. "But I don't feel a special need to get married right away, I mean, I manage quite nicely without a husband, don't you think?"

Shirley did understand, especially seeing as her own husband was rarely home. Andre was a merchant and traveled from town to town, and returned to Greendale about three times a year. Shirley fared very well on her own, took care of the inn and raised three magnificent sons.

"I have a job I love, the kids are great, and I get a monthly salary, which is so great. I never received a salary before, Shirley." At first she was too young to work, and then she married Rich, and his priest position supported them both. Only when she was left alone after his demise, and her family wouldn't help her because she married a Protestant pastor, she was forced to find a job.

"And I have a lovely room living with an intelligent, distinguished woman..."

"Gee, stop," Shirley crooned, flattered. She laid a hand on Annie's back in an attempt to soothe her agitated mind.

"So you understand, right? I don't need a man... And I will never do it, you know? I'm not desperate for a man like they say, and even if I was, I'm not a husbands' stealer... I like to believe I'm a decent woman, I wouldn't go after someone else's man!"

"I know, sweetheart." Shirley resolved to help her. "I'll talk to them, okay? I'll tell them that you're a respectable woman, and you're not trying to steal anybody..."

"Thank you, Shirley, you are a true friend."

:::

Shirley left the women's gathering feeling that she missed something. Things didn't go as planned, not at all.

The women's gathering was an informal gathering on Sundays after church, where the ladies of Greendale gathered to discuss about this and that, and if someone needed help they would discuss aiding arrangements. It was a place to reach most of the women, because even if not all the Greendale women went to the gathering, the more powerful women most certainly came.

When they finally let Shirley say a few words she started with some severe accusations about the unseemly behavior towards the new teacher. Nicole response was a counter attack, firing at her all of her arguments, more or less as she presented them to Vicky. Shirley has done her utmost to answer her, to describe Annie's character and integrity, but it seemed that most of the women at the gathering agreed with Nicole. They nodded and added their own accusations, complained about her clothes and her approach to the men. They didn't believe Shirley's testimony for her. "You believe her only because your husband is not around, but if he was you would boycott her too," they told her. Shirley left them feeling as if she swallowed lead.

When she found Annie in the living room of the inn, playing cards with Elijah, she shook her head.

"I told them," she informed her.

"And...?" Annie asked, putting her cards on the table, face down.

"I don't think I've managed to convince them."

Annie sighed and hung her head. She relied on Shirley; people listened when she spoke, or so she thought. Perhaps the matter hit too close to home for some women, and so they didn't want to listen, she told herself. Shirley sat next to her and laid her hand on her friend's head.

"You know what..." she said gently. "Perhaps, in the meantime..."

Annie made a noncommittal sound.

"If I was you, I would fix my dresses... you know, just a little. Just so your breasts won't be as visible." Annie stared at her, but at this point she was so tired of it that she agreed rather than take offense. "Okay, but you buy me the extra fabric."

The next day she wore a more modest dress, with additional black cloth she had sewn to cover her up to the chin. Shirley helped her sew it so that it looked like part of the dress, with small buttons from chest to chin. She didn't think this silhouette was particularly flattering on her, but maybe that was the idea.

:::

It did not happen in a day. On Monday Dolly wouldn't show her homework, and that was all. The next day George acted up during lesson. George has always been a bit bouncy, unable to sit for more than a few minutes, but when she would remark on it in soft words and found something for him to do, they both got along swell. Or at least it was like that before everything. But he wouldn't listen to her, and the next day the other children picked it up, especially Woody and Sam, and after the weekend she wasn't able to teach even a word.

She realized that probably the kids weren't trying to interfere with the lesson, they wouldn't be intentionally malicious. But they enjoyed the change in pace and the freedom to play and be as loud as they wished, that they didn't even notice her.

Still, the worst of it was when Woody told her, "Why would I listen to you? My mom says you are an easy woman!"

The other kids wanted to know what an easy woman was, and he told them that it must be a woman that is easy to catch. They concluded that it was a bad thing; after all, none of them wanted to get caught when playing Catch.

"Children, go home. We are done studying for today," Annie gathered the last of her energy to raise her voice. A few minutes later the classroom was empty and she sat in her chair, her elbows propped on the desk and her face in her palms. She didn't notice the pass of time, until a soft hand landed on her shoulder.

"Annie," Shirley used her special voice for sad children, "come with me."

The innkeeper took Annie's arm and accompanied her outside, and Annie was surprised to learn that it was twilight. _How much time have I been sitting there…?_

With no particular encouragement, she confided in Shirley about what Woody had said.

"Woody used to love me," she told her. "Or so I thought. I don't know anymore." She shook her head. "Shirley, it's a nightmare. I can't speak to women, and when I do they make me regret it immediately… they make me feel like I'm a cockroach they would like to smash. Talking to the men makes it worse… and I believed that school was my safe place, my sanctuary. The kids were happy to study with me; they were my reason to get out of bed every morning. I really don't know what to do…"

Shirley had thought once or twice to tell her to leave the town, but where would she go? And who can tell this won't happen in the next town as well? No, she was there, and they needed a local solution.

"Shirley, what are we doing here?" Annie questioned, raising her eyes to the sheriff's star.

"We're going to speak with the sheriff about your situation."

"Do you really think…"

"If he can't knock some sense into the Greendale community, Lord help us."

:::

Jeff had a good day. In fact, all of the recent days were good. The town was more peaceful than ever, there wasn't some mysterious illness making everybody hallucinate, there were no escaped prisoners with star tattoos, and Abed haven't tried to pretend that the Greendale folks were actually the people of Thebes and that Jeff was king Oedipus (all of which actually happened in Greendale, Jeff didn't have that much of an imagination to make up this nonsense). The women had smiled at him in the streets, the drunkards hadn't started any fights, and they had the mid-summer whether that he was particularly fond of.

He liked the quiet episodes when he could sit in his office all day, bouncing a ball and throwing knifes at the opposite wall (which coincidentally also helped to improve his aim). _After_ he finished doing the pushups needed to maintain his strength and skill, naturally.

"Sheriff, are you here?"

"I'm here, Mrs. Bennett, come in," he called. The light in the room began to dim at dusk, and he stood up to light the lamp.

When he turned Mrs. Bennet and Miss Edison stood in the doorway. His eyes were drawn immediately to the teacher. Was she always so small? Her usually radiant skin seems somewhat gray and her eyes didn't meet his. Why didn't she look at him? He wanted her to look at him.

"Miss Edison? Everything all right?"

"No, everything is not all right," she murmured.

"What can I -"

"Sit down and listen," Ms. Bennett instructed him. He complied.

"You should do something. The women decided they boycott Annie, through no fault of her own." Shirley was quick to appoint their crimes, "they wouldn't talk to her, they wouldn't sell her merchandise, and they also slander her to their children. She is no longer able to teach. I tried to talk to them at the women's gathering, but I couldn't reach them."

Jeff sat up, glanced at the teacher sitting in the chair across from him. Her shoulders were drooped, and she hasn't looked at him yet. For some reason it bothered him more than anything.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Annie shrugged and sighed.

"It's no wonder," Mrs. Bennett fumed. "It seems no man in this town have noticed the systematic boycott the women declared on her."

"What can I do to help? You know why they do it? Do they have anything against her?"

Shirley glimpsed at Annie, whose eyes were still stuck to the floor. "It seems they think that Annie is... too pretty... and has loose morals."

Jeff raised an eyebrow.

"They're afraid their husbands would sneak away with her."

"Ah!" Jeff didn't expect that, honestly not. The fair teacher was so dignified... so delicate... and her husband had been a priest, for crying out loud! How could they think she was -

"They think she's flirting, even though she is not," Shirley said.

"You thought so, too." Jeff was surprised to hear Miss Edison. She finally raised her head and looked straight in his eyes. "You thought I was hitting on you. It's probably not so far-fetched of them to think that way too..."

"I didn't actually think -" He stopped and tried again. "I thought you agreed to forget about -" He cleared his throat. "I didn't actually think that, Miss Edison. Some people might say that my vanity is larger than a buffalo... I was just expecting you to hit on me, just as I expect all women who have two eyes and half a brain to do."

She rolled her eyes and his chest filled with some type of warm dust when a small smile formed on her tired lips, even though she wasn't looking at him again.

"All right," Shirley decide. "I'm glad it's all clear now, but here's what you can do."

"Yes, Mrs. Bennett, I'm all ears."

"You need to tell men about the boycott. And tell them to talk to their wives, maybe put some sense into them." She pursed her lips. "I understand that Miss Edison is lovely, and certainly understand that maybe a man or two would like to entertain the idea of kissing her behind a stack of hay, but most of the men in this town are married and kissing behind hay is a matter for young lads whose mustache has only started to grow, not for married men with wives to support and children to raise, yeah? And Annie is a good Christian woman, and is a very good teacher. She only wants to benefit the town."

At this point Jeff started rummaging through his drawers.

"What are you doing?" Shirley stopped her speech.

"Looking for paper and ink, maybe I should write this down."

"Oh hush, Jeffrey Winger, this is not a joke. This is a serious matter. Annie is very close to just giving up and leaving town." It made him stop his searching.

"Listen, Annie isn't looking for a spouse and she isn't looking for a man for some improper shenanigans."

"Shirley, you don't have to..." Annie realized that Shirley was acting as her spokeswoman, and didn't like the feeling.

"Hush, child, I'm on a roll."

"Very well, but we'll talk about it later," Annie complied.

Shirley nodded and continued, "Annie moved here simply because she needed a job, and here she found a job that's good for her, and good for us too." She leaned over the table and although he was stronger than her, Shirley's had something menacing about her, something that said, 'I can make you wet your underwear if necessary'. He shivered.

"You hear me, Winger?" He nodded hurriedly. "You're the sheriff, and she needs protection, so protect her."

:::

Jeff walked to the bank. There was no gathering for men like there was for the women, at least not a formal one, so he had to talk with each man individually. He chose to speak with several men and expect them to pass the message on. Duncan was an old friend of his, in the broad sense of the word, and a bit of a chatterbox, so one word in his ear will be easily passed on to the rest of the men.

"Sheriff Winger, where are you going?" Abed joined him and amazingly kept up with the rapid pace of sheriff. The boy had some fairly long legs on him.

"Abed, good thing I met you. I need you to distribute something."

The boy nodded. "What's the deal?"

"So here it is. You know the new teacher?..."

"Miss Edison."

"Yes. So it turns out that some women have declared a boycott on her, because of some rumors that she is..." Jeff exhaled slowly. He really didn't want to say it, not about the demure Miss Edison. He envisioned her blue eyes staring at him in disbelief. "...a woman of loose morals."

"Yeah, I know." Abed nodded.

Jeff stopped. "You know?" He spun sharply to the journalist.

"Of course. They give her murderous looks whenever she walks down the street, won't sell her anything in the market. Things like that. Hard to miss."

"You've seen it?!"

"Obviously, Jeff. I see everything. I'm the journalist."

"But you... If you knew what they were doing to her, why didn't you say anything?"

Abed's face remained expressionless. "You may not know it, but I'd rather be a bystander in the story. One that doesn't intervene unless the characters won't make any move on their own."

Jeff gave him a long stare, crossing his arms across his chest.

"What is this look? Sheriff? Are you mad at me? I don't like when people are mad at me. Did I do something wrong?"

"Yes, Abed, I'm mad at you."

"I didn't have to wait much; Mrs. Bennett took care of her. She didn't need my help." It must have been a satisfactory explanation in the boy's opinion.

"Still, you should have done something, Abed. You could have told me something was wrong. Miss Edison is suffering..."

"And you don't like when she suffers, Sheriff?" The boy tilted his head.

"What? No! I'm just concerned about her, the same way I take concern in everyone in this town."

"Suuuuure." Abed drew out the syllable for far too long, in what probably meant to express skepticism, but the phrase wasn't like Abed at all. Jeff recalled hearing Troy using this phrase.

"Well, for future reference, I ask you to do your duty to the town and report any inappropriate action that needs to come to my attention."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"So actually my father was not feeling well this morning, he said it was because the cabbages turned out bad, but I think it was because he ate too many of them and I wanted to eat them too -"

"Not that sort of thing! Things I need to know!"

Abed looked at the floor for a long moment. "But that's not what you said -"

"I know what I said, but you need to use your brain and decide what I need to know and what not."

"You want me to apply judgment?"

"Yes!"

The journalist waited a beat, before asking, "So... what do you want me to tell?"

"Tell the men to take care of their women!" Jeff almost barked, was startled at his own voice and relaxed. "Listen, the men don't even know about it. Except for you, obviously. If you tell them that the new teacher suffers because of unjustified rumors, and ask them to speak to their wives about it, I think it would be most helpful."

Abed nodded. Then he shaped his hand like a gun and pointed it at Jeff, clicked his tongue and said, "Here's looking at you, kid."

"Thank you." Jeff shook his head as he walked away.

A bystander in the story! If Abed was just a bystander, who were the main characters? Jeff was most ready to believe that he was one of the main characters, as he always believed he was the main character. But he had a nagging suspicion that Abed thought that Miss Edison was a main character too... This line of thinking didn't lead him anywhere, only to thoughts about those big, blue, clever eyes, and her sweet lips, ranging from a taut line when she was upset with him, to a secretive smile when he was able to amuse her. And those thoughts were an entirely different kind of unbeneficial.

Jeff reached the bank and was pleased to see Duncan, as the sight of the clerk typically helped to empty his head from all thoughts of females.

"Jeffrey Winger, old chap, what brings you here?" Duncan called from behind the counter.

Jeff leaned on the counter and said, "Duncan, I have a mission for you..."

:::

Annie looked up at the half-empty classroom. _At least this way it's easier to teach_ , she thought glumly. She had taught them some English today, but her heart wasn't in it.

Caitlin approached her when she was gathering her books at the end of the day. "Miss Edison, I won't be coming to school tomorrow. Mom said today is the last day I study with you."

"Thanks for letting me know, Caitlin." Annie said wearily. At least she had the decency to let her know in advance.

On the way to the inn she passed through the market and bought a dozen apples that Shirley requested. When she passed the well a fellow pushed himself from the wall and drew near her. "Miss, come here..."

Who was this man? She did not recognize him; his clothes were ragged and brown with use, and his beard shaggy. Must be one of the poorer drunkards.

"Come on, baby, give me a kiss..." she accelerated her pace as fast as she could without breaking into run, and walked past him with her head down. Fortunately he didn't follow; the previous day there was one that nearly did.

She knew that the sheriff had talked with the men because Abed Nadir told her about it, but it seemed that the situation only got worse. Apparently some men got the opposite idea: that Annie was a woman that can and should be propositioned. This was the third man this week who gave her unwelcome attention. It started to become a real problem.

"Here are the apples you asked for," Annie poured the apples out of the bag on the kitchen table at Shirley's. Shirley turned from the pot where she worked and went to take the fruit.

"Oh, Annie, what is this?"

Annie unbuttoned her collared, as always when she got home. "What is it?"

"These apples are rotten..."

Annie looked at them. "But I looked... they were good!" On second thought, Carol was the one who loaded the bag with the apples, and Annie checked only the top ones, which were good. "I'm sorry, Shirley, I should have checked better..." she groaned and leaned against the table, rubbing her forehead.

Shirley shook her head and rested her fists on her hips. "Don't apologize! This is the second time they do something like this."

"Shirley, today there were only seven children in the classroom, and Caitlin told me that tomorrow she won't come either. I don't know what to do anymore." And it's not that they hadn't tried anything; a few days ago she and Shirley tried to make house calls, but after two unpleasant visits that ended on the doorstep, they lost motivation.

Shirley pulled her to stand up. "Before you give up, I have an idea. Follow me."

:::

"Mrs. Bennett, always a pleasure to see you, and you, of course, Miss Edison." Jeff grinned at both of them when they appeared at his door twenty minutes later.

"Straight away with the flattery, eh, Sheriff?" Shirley chuckled. Annie smiled at their exchanges; Shirley was like a big sister to the sheriff, or at least so it seemed. She couldn't remember the last time she was a part of civilized exchanges between two adults.

Jeff took his feet off the table and leaned forward. "So how can I help you, lovely ladies?"

"Well, that didn't work," Shirley cut to the point. "I didn't know it was possible, but the situation is even worse."

"Despite me talking to the men?"

"Despite it, perhaps even because of."

"I think they were offended of you trying to scold them like schoolgirls." Annie stared at her skirt when she uttered that.

"I'm sorry, I truly thought..." The sheriff shook his head. "If there is anything else I can do -"

"I have an idea," Shirley informed him bluntly. "You should marry her."

"I what?"

"What?! Shirley!"

Shirley raised her hand. "Before you two dismiss the idea, give me a second. I thought about it for a while, and I think it will actually work. What is Annie's problem? She is a widow. She has no husband."

"Oh, thanks, Shirley, how sensitive of you to point it out." Annie rolled her eyes.

Shirley continued without responding. "She is young and pretty, and she is eligible to be married, yet she isn't. Here in town we stand for couples, boys to girls, men to women, those at the age of marriage should marry no matter what. Plus Annie is beautiful, and I think it makes her look, in some convoluted way, as if she defies the town. "

"I never thought of it that way..." Annie muttered.

"And you, Jeffrey," Shirley turned to the sheriff. "You are not as young as you used to be. You're my age, but between the two of us I have three strong and healthy boys, and you are not even close to getting married. Have you ever considered your aging mother? She probably can't wait to see her son married with children."

"Shirley Bennett, you have no right to intervene in my decisions -"

"Let me finish, and then you can tell me whatever you want." She waited a moment, and when both of them showed no further signs of talking, she went on to her closing note. "Annie is bright, beautiful, well-bred, has several helpful abilities and, she's a great cook. In fact, if I stand here all day to count her virtues, I won't be able to name all of them."

"Ohh," Annie laid her hand on her heart.

"I promise you that if you marry her, your life will change for the better."

There was a pause in which the sheriff and the teacher stared at the landlady. After a couple of minutes passed by, they turned to look at each other slowly.

"Well, obviously it's a ridiculous idea," Annie began just as Jeff said: "It's not that I don't believe in Miss Edison's abilities -" and stopped. They tried again.

"I'm not that desperate -"

"- It's just that getting married, it goes against all my principles -"

Annie cleared her throat. Jeff caught her eye and said, "Sorry, you go first."

"Thank you," she acknowledged with a small smile.

Shirley watched them with interest, before Annie addressed her.

"You are aware that this is absolutely ridiculous, aren't you?" She asked. "I'm not going to decide on a wedding, out of the blue, just like that. People don't get hitched that way. And I'm not going to tie the sheriff to me in a binding contract, just because people treat me badly. No thank you, I can manage by myself just fine."

"That's how you feel?" Shirley questioned gently.

"Yes." Miss Edison shrugged.

"And you, Sheriff?"

"I..." He peered at the small woman beside him, but she refused to look at him. "I think Miss Edison said it all," he decided. He had his reasons, but he didn't feel the need to clarify them after the fair Miss Edison explained very clearly that she isn't interested in marrying him.

Nevertheless, to give the whole thing the sense that he was also a part in the discussion, he told Shirley, "Thanks for the suggestion Mrs. Bennet, but in the future, no more absurd ideas, please."

Shirley shook her head. "Well, of course it sounds far-fetched now, but at least give it some thought, all right? It has real potential to solve all of Miss Edison's problems."

"I promise no such -" Annie began, but Jeff interjected. "We'll think about it." When Annie gave him a quizzical look, he mouthed, _just so she lets us be_. She sighed.

"Okay, I'll think about it."

:::


	4. Determined

**AN:** Love seeing your opinions and speculations about the story, especially since some of it is already written... Anyway, here is the next part. I hope you like it!

:::

Chapter four

So far, it was easy to ignore his fantasies about sweet little Miss Edison (although he had to admit that when she faced him and looked in his eyes it felt as if she was his height). On a daily basis he simply pushed them to a remote area in the back of his head and went on about his daily routine. He pretended he was never interested in her and her interesting body under the black dresses. It worked most of the time.

But after Shirley suggested the idea of marriage, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

 _Damn her!_

Damn Shirley. Miss Edison did nothing wrong.

He didn't want to think about her when he was in bed, and didn't want to think about her at work. So instead of sinking deeper and deeper into thoughts of what could be, he decided to go out and look for the real thing.

Not that he approached her. No, that wasn't the plan. He only kept an eye on her from afar. As it was she needed his protecting, according to what Shirley had said (and now that Abed became his informant, according to Abed as well).

He leaned against the wall of a house, in the shade, and tried not to be seen. Some people saw him, and he waved to them, but he made sure to convey a message that said, 'No one talk to me today', and it seemed to work. Most simply continued their day without addressing him, and soon forgot he was even there. He followed her as she walked from the inn to the class, and from the class to the market and to other craftsmen. He saw her doing all sorts of errands on behalf of Shirley. _Shirley, why are you doing this to her?_ He thought to tell her that the next time they meet, but then remembered that she had three sons. She probably needed all the help she could get.

It was a week after Shirley has made her scandalous suggestion. Jeff was leaning against a booth of tools and watching her from the corner of his eye, as he did every day of the last week.

She came out of the classroom, wearing a black buttoned dress. _Why is she wearing these dresses?_ A fleeting thought passed through his mind. _It's a shame to hide such a body..._ _Those_ thoughts vanished as he focused on her crouched gait, as if trying to reduce her space in the world as much as possible.

She went to buy from the greengrocer, and Jeff studied his fingernails while Annie studied each vegetable. A minute before she briskly passed by the well, and Todd had offered her a drink of water. Jeff knew that Todd was married (and his wife had a tendency to sing out of tune whenever she had too much to drink), but it didn't stop the guy from smiling at the teacher. She shook her head, not even glancing at him. Jeff compared it to the teacher who came to the city a few months ago. It was impossible to recognise her. That woman was always smiling, polite, radiant with vitality. The woman he saw now was frightened and withdrawn, a shadow of that woman.

Annie picked up the vegetables into the basket and Jeff frowned when he saw the greengrocer, Samantha, talking to her. He didn't hear what she was saying but could see that every other word caused Miss Edison to shrink more and more. Finally she paid and turned away, but Samantha's nails caught the basket, causing Annie to lose her balance and fall to the ground with a thud, kicking up dust around her.

Jeff looked around. No one watched and no one came to help. He had taken two steps toward her when she got up on her own, dusted off her skirt with jerky movements and began walking.

Annie walked away from the market and after one block Jeff detected a man following her. Of course, he was following her himself, but he did it discreetly and with pure intents. This man, however, seemed up to no good.

Annie went into an alley and the man behind her. Jeff accelerated his pace.

:::

"Hey babe," Annie heard before she smelled, "why are you going so fast?" She didn't even pause. "Girl, you stop when a man is talking to you!" a heavy hand landed on her shoulder, making her flinch. "Leave me alone!" She cried, and he sneered, his face close to hers far more than she cared. Unfortunately she could smell that the man didn't invest much in oral hygiene.

"Let go of the lady!" Annie breathed a sigh of relief when the man was pulled back uncontrollably, and the sheriff emerged behind him.

"Hey – hey, go find your own girl," the man slurred.

"It's the middle of the day, Larry, isn't it too early to drink?" The sheriff said, and his eyes were dark, his jaw tense. Annie had never seen him so grim. The sight was unnerving.

"It's four o'clock somewhere," the man smirked and was about to go, except the sheriff's hand was still gripping the side of his neck.

"Where are you going? I'm not done with you."

 _Please don't hit him, please don't hit him_ , Annie prayed, eyes wide.

"Hey, Sheriff -"

"You will never touch Miss Edison again, you hear me? Not only you won't touch her, you will also not go her way, look at her or think about her. Am I understood?" Annie didn't feel it herself, but she assumed that the way Jeff was prodding his thumb into the guy's neck was entirely unpleasant.

"Understood!" The man croaked.

"Good. Now get out of my sight!"

The two watched how the man disappeared faster than snow on a sunny day.

Annie felt her cheeks heating up when the sheriff turned to look at her, and his gaze reminded her of the penetrating look he gave her the first day they met, as if trying to see her soul through her skin.

"Thank you, I..." She swallowed. "I'm so grateful." She just wanted to disapear. This day couldn't have been worse even without him watching her humiliation.

"Let's do it," he said.

"What?" She gripped the basket until her knuckles turned white.

"Let's get married."

"Ugh, this again." She sighed, her eyes falling to the ground. "Listen, Sheriff... It's really nice of you, I appreciate it very much. But I don't need favors. You don't need to ruin your life just for my sake. Truly." She said 'truly' but he didn't believe her.

"That's not true, I'm not going to ruin my life."

"Gee, thanks." She muttered.

"Listen, Shirley was right. I thought she was exaggerating, but she wasn't. The situation doesn't make any sense. I can't follow you every day, protect you from everyone. It's simply impossible. And if we get married..."

"You think it will just pass?"

"Simply put, yes. There is a very good chance that the situation will resolve itself."

"Listen, it's not that I think it can't work..." she said. She thought about it herself, and came to the conclusion that if she changed her status, the town's folk will have no choice but to change their minds about her. But... "But you obviously don't want to marry me. I'm not that desperate, you know? I can still find someday someone who would _actually_ want to marry me." she raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms under her chest to stress the point.

"Of course I know, look at you! Who wouldn't want you in his bed every night?"

She flushed to the roots of her hair and protested, "Sheriff! You can't say these things to me..."

"No, no - I'm sorry, that's not what I meant, I just... I'm an idiot, okay? I have no problem with you in the equation of our marriage. I think you're..."

She waited.

"You're just..."

 _What?_ She shook her head, held up her hand in a silent question.

"You know..." He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "You're a very attractive woman, doesn't take a genius to see that, even a blind man would agree."

"Thank you, Sheriff Winger! I think this is the first time I've heard a compliment from you." Yes, it certainly was cynicism on her part.

He shrugged. "Yeah, well, I'm not used to give compliments to people who aren't me." He made her smile again. He noted that she especially liked when he joked at his own expense. "Look, maybe in the meantime I'll see you to Shirley's?..."

She agreed. He stepped next to her and held out his arm. "M'lady."

Her eyes flickered to his, and her smile appeared tentative at first before slowly expanding. He was dazzled. "M'lord." She linked her arm with his.

When they began to walk together he told her what the matter was. "My problem with marriage is more general."

"oh?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I never understood the point of it," he admitted. "After my father left my mother and me in the lurch, I swore I would never marry."

"Really?" Her tone rose slightly. "How old were you?"

"I was seven, and it was the worst time of my life. I saw what his leaving did to her, to me, and I decided to never cause such a thing myself. Marriages can break in a second. I don't get why people do it."

"Get married?"

"Yes. But now... I'm completely up to breaking the pledge, seeing as the end justifies the means." They reached the inn and Annie slipped her arm from his, then faced him.

"Oh, so I am a charity case for you. Nice to know where I stand."

"You're not - I said you're an attractive woman - it's just that I pledged -"

"Let me help you," Annie lifted her palm, silencing him. "It's very nice of you, but it really is a sacrifice on your part and I don't think it's worth it." She studied him in silence for a few moments, and he finally fell silent. Maybe he decided he had spoken enough nonsense so far.

Oh, come on! How could he think she would agree after he made it clear how much he didn't want to get married?

"No thank you, I'll manage without your ring."

:::

Jordan was sick, red marks covered his face and arms. Shirley felt sorry for him; he moaned and tossed from side to side on his bed, while Elijah was sent away from the room, to protect him from catching the disease too.

"Mom, I don't feel good at all," he was miserable. Shirley knew that if he complained, he really did feel awful. Her Jordan has always tried to put up a brave face when he was sick. "I'll call the doctor baby, okay?"

"Annie, can I ask you something?" Shirley stood in the doorway of Annie's room, when the latter was removing hairpins in preparation for bed.

Annie ceased her preoccupation. "Sure, whatever you need."

"Maybe it's not such a good idea..." Shirley muttered. "Maybe I should... well, I'll ask, but you don't have to."

"What is it?"

"I need you to call the doctor to examine Jordan. I'm really worried about him, Annie."

"I..." Annie shook her head. _I really don't want to_. Walking around town during the day has become a torture, and to go during the evening, almost at night, was even more dangerous. But if Shirley asked... "It's that bad, isn't it?" She asked her friend.

The latter nodded. "His whole body is covered with rashes, and I can't say what it is. I'm scared, and I really need you to call the doctor. I would go myself, but I can't leave the inn... I know it's not a good idea at this hour, but... you understand?"

She did. She sighed, tucked back the two pins she had previously removed and re-buttoned her dress. She pulled out a thick shawl on the way out and wrapped herself in it before leaving, covering her shoulders and head.

The night air was chilly but not cold. There were few street lights in town, but the moon has provided most of the light at night, and it was enough to illuminate her way. She rushed to the doctor's house which was far from the inn, looking sideways the whole time, and blew a sigh of relief only when she reached his door without meeting anyone.

The doctor packed his suitcase and left his house swiftly, trained in urgent calls at odd hours. She followed him on the way back, quickened her pace even more to keep up with him. But he went too fast; he chose a different route than the one she took to him, and before she knew it he disappeared around the next corner, and she found herself in the area of the town's pubs.

This section of town was always unpleasant for her, even more so now. The drunkards didn't limit their drunken stupor to the inside of the buildings, but trickled noisily out into the street.

"Sir!" She whisper-called, but did not see him anywhere. "Hell!" She swore under her breath. _To hell with men and their long legs!_

She started to walk past the pubs, at the greatest distance possible from the tipsy people, but they saw her anyway.

"A broad!" One of them called to another, and they both approached her at a surprisingly quick stroll. She tried to walk faster, which was absolutely impossible as she was already walking pretty fast.

"Missss- Miss Anderson...? Is that you...?" one of the drunkards slurred.

"Don't be stupid, it's Ed - hick! 'scuse me, Edison."

"I don't care... C'mere, Miss, come teach me a thing or two.."

"I don't want to teach you!" She let out. "Leave me alone!"

They came too close, and her legs ached with the exertion. "We've heard about you, 'aven't we, Nobby? We heard what they say... That you need a man in your life... Come give us some love... C'mon, I'll show you what a real man is.." One of them grabbed the fabric at the hip of her skirt, the other one the hem.

"Let me go!" She cried when they grabbed her. They were drunk, but stronger than her. _Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry..._ She struggled with them, and when she fell to the ground she finally found her leverage point. She leaned on the ground and flung her leg, shoving her knee in the groin of the one holding her waist, and he cursed and released her. She managed to get up and started running, and heard her skirt rip when the other that grasped her skirt was left behind.

She ran, fled, didn't see where her feet lead her or where she was, only to escape those filthy men. They chased her for a long moment before they tired from the chase, and she continued breathlessly until she found herself at the doorstep of the sheriff's office. Were they still behind her? She didn't know, but even though it was dark inside the door was open, so she entered without asking further questions.

The office was dark and she pressed herself against the closed door, breathing hard, heart pounding against her chest. "Damn," she muttered, and the tears started.

"Who's there?" She froze, her weeping turning into faint sobs and noisy breaths.

"It's..." her voice trembled. "Sheriff, it's just me." She forced herself to get up and go to the other room. The sheriff was sitting with his feet on the table, drinking a clear liquid in a glass, only the moonlight that streamed through the window illuminated him.

"Miss Edison?" He hadn't realized yet what was happening. "What happened to you?"

The tears came back, big time. "Jordan is sick... Shirley asked, I went to call the doctor... he went too fast, I lost him at the pubs..." The sobs disrupted her short sentences. "They saw me, called to me..." She tried to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand, so he offered her a handkerchief which she received with gratitude. "They grabbed me, they wanted... I didn't let them, I run away as fast as I could..." His mind completed the missing parts of the story. He stood up and brought her a glass of water from somewhere, and stood leaning against his desk.

"I'm so sorry..." Jeff rubbed his face. What could he do? It wasn't his fault. Like he told her, he couldn't protect her at all times. This feeling, of overwhelming and absolute helplessness, he hated it. Goddamnit!

Miss Edison gulped the water, and finished it in a minute.

"Okay," she said, her voice still shaking but steadier than before.

"Okay what?" Jeff thought maybe he hadn't heard her.

"Let's do it. Let's get married."

:::

It's not that he didn't think how it would be to be married to her. How she will look in a white wedding gown (answer: like an angel sent from above just for him). How will it be to see her every day, to be allowed to kiss her whenever he so desires, and the crowning glory, how it would be to know what she looks like under all those clothes (and study her closely. Maybe draw her, so he would have a memory to take with him everywhere. His fantasies surprised even him). How it will be when his job description will contain the function 'make Miss Edison smile'.

Obviously she won't be Miss Edison as his wife, but he couldn't bring himself to think of the words 'Mrs. Winger'. For a long time Mrs. Winger was his mother, and he wasn't sure he could get used to another woman bearing the name.

But he didn't think her mind was completely clear when she expressed her consent.

"All right," he said slowly.

"All right, let's do it."

"No, I didn't mean that. I meant... All right, let's sit down and you'll think about it some more."

"I think I've thought enough. I thought too much."

"No, you should calm down a bit more. You had an quite eventful evening, and an unpleasant one; you can't make such a decision without a clear mind. Besides, I don't think I can believe you right now. You might regret it as soon as you get to think a bit more."

She sighed. "You're so clever," she murmured. "Here's another reason to marry you." She smiled her small, secretive smile, and he knew that this time she was mocking him.

"Yes, I am clever, believe it or not... want something to eat?"

He offered her a chair and she sat down. He pulled out a piece of cheese and a pear from a closet or drawer, she didn't exactly see in the moonlight. "Perhaps we can light a lamp?" She suggested and he went to turn on the light.

He dragged his chair to sit next to her while she ate, and watched her in silence, his elbows resting on the armrests and fingers combined in front of his mouth. He examined her appearance; she was wearing that awful black dress, buttoned up to her chin in addition to a shawl hung loosely around her elbows. Her hair, usually curled to perfection, got disheveled during her run, some pins shifted out of position and natural curls covered her cheeks. His eyes dropped and found a large part of her skirt torn away, revealing white petticoats beneath, torn as well but still connected. Her cheeks were flushed and around her eyes were still red and moist from crying.

He frowned. Either she really was something special or his eyes were deceiving him, because he still thought she was stunning, even so.

Miss Edison finished eating and wiped her mouth with the handkerchief he gave her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"So, are you ready to hear what I was thinking?"

"Only if you're willing to share."

She straightened her back, squared her shoulders. "I thought about it, and you're right. This solution makes the most sense, in the current situation."

"Technically, it's Shirley that's right." She shot him a warning glance, and he stifled a smirk.

"I need a husband. And you may not think you need a wife, and maybe you really don't, but I can be a good wife. I've been a good wife before."

"With Rich?"

"With Rich. He never complained."

 _I'm sure he didn't_ , but somehow he thought it too rude to express. Instead, he said, "what does it mean, a good wife?"

She cleared her throat and rolled her shoulders, preparing to battle. "If we got married," she explained, "I'll cook for you, fix your clothes and take care of the cleaning and maintenance of your house. You will find it's easy to live with me. I won't disturb you. If that's what you want."

In all honesty, he didn't know what he wanted.

"And I like you, so it wouldn't be a totally unfounded match."

"You do?"

"Yes," She sent him a sidelong glance, biting her lip. "We're friends, aren't we?"

He agreed. "I'd like to think we're friends."

She... blushed? It was hard to tell in the dim light. "You don't have to convince me that this is a good deal for me, I've heard it all from Shirley by now." he said. "And somehow I have trust in your good character."

"Well then..." she began.

"-What you do need to convince me is that it would be a good deal for you, that you really want it. Don't do it if you're not into it, it would be a colossal mistake if we get married and you realize that you are trapped in a marriage that you didn't want. I know you're a woman who has other options of finding another husband... a better one... and in the normative way."

"Don't underestimate your own worth," she murmured, looking at her tightly intertwined hands.

"A more suitable one, if you like."

She nodded, her chest heaving a deep breath. "I've been thinking about it, Sheriff. While I didn't mean to do anything about changing my status before today, I was still thinking about it..." She moved forward in her chair, her back even more upright and her body closer to him, but her eyes still stared down at her skirt. Her knees were a mere inch from his. "I wasn't going to get married, at least not any time soon. At first I had missed Rich so much and then... I just haven't met anybody who piqued my interested. Not until..." His ears perked up. "There is no one in town that interests me..." she wouldn't look at him, "but you."

Well, he believed his ego expanded so much they should call a state after it.

"Miss Edison," he cleared his throat. She didn't offer him an indecent offer, didn't even look at him. Still, he was suddenly very aware of how close they were in the Sheriff's office, and how easy it would be to grab her out of her chair to sit on his lap. No one would see them in this late hour, and she was small enough to fit in there perfectly. He won't admit the number of times he tried to calculate how her body would fit with his in the same chair.

"We both believe that the situation will change for the better if we marry. True, I'd rather marry on my conditions, but if I must marry this way... I'm glad that you're the one offering." He gritted his teeth in an effort not to reach out to her.

"There's something else I was thinking," she added, changing the subject. He exhaled, trying to loosen the muscles that tensed in spite of him.

"If there was a girl waiting for you... someone you promised yourself to, surely I would not ask you to do this for me." He interpreted 'it' as 'get married'. "But there is no one."

"In conclusion, you have to believe that I've thought about it. I really believe that it would be the best thing for me." She glanced at him from under her eyelashes. "If you agree."

"Well," he detached his hands and set them on his knees. "If we get married," he repeated her words.

"Yes?" hope crept into her voice.

"If we get married, you'll move in with me, live at my house, wear my ring, and get my protection, not just in name. I will protect you as best I could as sheriff, not just as... your husband."

She nodded.

"But since we do it in a calculated way," he added before she'll get the wrong idea, "I think it's only fair to tell you..."

He thought about it only in the last few minutes, after realizing that in fact the deed on his side was greater than the compensation she proposed to pay, and the lack of equivalence between them made him feel uneasy. So he decided to tell her, "I don't expect you to fulfill the wife's duties, um, in bed."

That's it, he said it. It defied every particle and shred in his body, since the first and foremost reason he wanted to make her his wife was to be able to bed her, but it was the right thing to say. He thought about that when she spoke; he realized that she was going to cook for him, take care of him and serve him out of gratitude that he gave her his name and his protection. If she will also warm his bed there was the risk that she'll see that as a service to him too. And that was the last thing he wanted. He didn't want a servant in his bed, he wanted the lovely Miss Edison to come there because she wanted _him_ , and not because of any other reason.

It didn't seem that Miss Edison herself had to think long about it. "Accepted." she said.

He didn't see the wheels churning in her mind, didn't know that in her thoughts she eliminated his opposition altogether, because if they were married, and she was more than willing to be his wife in every sense of the word, then why not? But this was his condition, and she was desperate to get it over with, so she agreed.

Besides, conditions can always be argued.

"Accepted," he nodded back.

She stood up and held out her hand.

He took her small palm and let her pull him to stand, then towards the exit. "Where are we going?" He asked, because she seemed to have made up her mind.

"Why, to get married, Mr. Winger!"

:::


	5. Level-headed

**AN:** Yay! I can't believe we're finally here, I was waiting to reach this chapter from the moment I imagined it (then I needed to write it, then translate it, then post the chapters that come before...). Even though it's not the 'end game' of this story, I still really like it. It's the wedding! I love weddings.

I quite hope you'll like it as well:)

Once again, thank you for all the reviews! They are so interesting and encouraging!

Can't wait to hear your thoughts about this one... Enjoy!

:::

Chapter five

As soon as they left the office he pulled her to his side, and she linked her arm in his.

"Do you know where the priest lives?" he asked.

"Yes, I've been to the church before..." The priest lived adjacent to the church. She knew this because she had gone to church occasionally with Shirley (i.e., when Shirley was able to convince her that her soul needed it). As a priest widow she was expected to show up once in a while, but truth be told she never was one for church-going (except when Rich was involved, and then she had been quite enthusiastic). Her worship was more about serving God by doing good, more then showing her face at the church. And she never saw Jeff in the crowd, anyway; from what Shirley had whispered in her ear, he never showed up.

"Okay, just checking." He adjusted his grip on her arm, painfully aware of the danger that the street meant for her, but not at the moment, not when she was with him.

"Oh no," she whispered. A few drunkards has trickled from the pubs' area, apparently followed those who had harassed her, and now they were watching the couple, the outsiders in the night.

"It's okay," he muttered. "You're with me."

"Hey Sheriff," one drunken recognized him. "This's... the teacher, is it? Where're ya- you going?" Annie decided she hated the drunken speech which was so jumbled, it was unintelligible. Why did people do this? It didn't add them any honor.

"We're going to get married, Alex," Jeff told him. She looked at him questioningly, but he just gazed defiantly at the man who asked him. Jeff's inner monologue ran something like this: _They'll think we were together, spread more rumors about her unseemly behavior. This is the opposite of what we're trying to accomplish here_.

She heard someone burping: "At this hour?" still Alex came over as they continued to walk. "Con- congratulations!" Jeff nodded tensely.

"Ye'r going... ta'the priest?" Alex asked.

"Yes." Jeff didn't care to elaborate.

"Guys, the sheriff is going to get married!" Alex called to the people who were apparently his pals. There were much greetings and whistles. Annie stared at them terrified.

"Let's take them to church!" Alex called in a dramatic raise of hand. His colleagues cheered.

"Oh no..." Annie's heart was gripped and she turned to the sheriff. "They're harmless." He said in her ear. "In any case, stay by me and it'll be fine."

The parade grew more the nearer they came to the priest's house, as more and more men decided that a hasty wedding by the moonlight was just what they needed in the middle of the night. Annie clung to the sheriff – Jeffrey? – and tried to calm her racing heart. Until they reached the church they had a distinguished group of drunken behind them, singing wedding songs off key, drinking from a flask and creating quite a commotion.

"Shh!" Jeff silenced them, and the commotion somewhat subsided when he knocked on the door of priest.

"Quiet! You'll wake up the priest!" Someone whispered loudly behind them. Annie covered her mouth, giggling despite herself.

Father Garrity opened the door dressed in his nightclothes, and Annie's heart sank when she realized that she was actually here, on the arm of the sheriff, about to marry him. She dug her nails into his sleeve. _I'm doing it_.

"What is it, in the middle of the night?" Father Garrity rasped, his eyes misty with sleep.

"Priest, sorry to bother you at such an hour..." Jeff said, "But it's urgent. Miss Edison and I... we wish to get married. As soon as possible." The priest stared at them. Jeff cleared his throat. "Can you marry us?"

Father Garrity studied them both for a long moment before nodding. "Give me a minute to get dressed."

He took them to the church next door. He lit the lanterns in the chapel, one by one, and didn't say a word when the drunken men shuffled inside, relatively quiet, and sat down in the benches.

"Miss Edison, a word?" The priest looked at her expectantly, and she left Jeff's arm (yes, she was still holding it) and went to the side with him. Jeff tried very hard to listen without seeming like he was eavesdropping, but heard almost nothing, only fragments of words. "Are you sure?" He thought he heard. Yes, that seemed appropriate. Unfortunately he hadn't heard her reply, but apparently it was enough for the priest, because he went back with her and urged them both to the altar.

"Miss Edison assured me that she knows what she's doing, this is some level-headed woman you have there." The priest told Jeff and nodded appreciatively at Miss Edison. Oh no, he can't call her Miss Edison anymore, can he? Lucky he knew her first name. "Annie," he muttered. In response a small smile lifted her lips.

"Um... Jeffrey?" She tried.

"Yes," he nodded his head way too hard. "Jeffrey's good. Jeffrey works." Most people called him Jeff, but when she said his name like this, his abdomen muscles tightened and he reflected that if she wanted, she can call him Charlie for all he cares.

The priest glanced between them. "Do you want to hold hands?" he suggested. Almost immediately Jeff reached out to her, and to his relief she raised her hands and grabbed his without faltering.

"Dearly beloved..." the priest paused and hummed, peering over his glasses. Jeff shrugged and Annie smiled at the ground. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of Mister Jeffrey Winger, the sheriff of Greendale, and Miss Annie Edison, the teacher of Greendale, in holy matrimony, which is an honorable estate, that is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and soberly."

Jeff felt his heart dropping to the pit of his stomach, but Annie's gaze remained steady.

"Into this estate these two persons present come now to be joined. If any one can show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." At this point the priest skeptically skimmed the drunken audience sitting quietly in the pews. One of them snored.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" Annie turned to him reluctantly. "Father, no one can give me. My dad had died a few years ago and my entire family lives far away."

"It is not customary, you know!"

"I know, I'm sorry..." She sighed sheepishly.

"Fine, we'll forego this part. Err..." He looked down at the book he was reading from. "Now for the vows..."

The priest recited the vows and they repeated after him word for word. Jeff wasn't really paying attention to what his lips were articulating. He was in the midst of an out-of-body experience; he was looking down at the man who had sworn to never marry, and the beautiful teacher he got his eye on from the moment they met, as they promised each other promises that previously they'd never thought to give each other.

The priest instructed them to insert each other's names.

"...I take thee, Annie Edison, to be my lawfully wedded wife."

"...I take thee, Jeffrey Winger, to be my lawfully wedded husband."

The priest closed his book with a violent thump that restored Jeff to his body. "Very well. I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

 _No! What? Why? Kiss the bride? No way, it's..._ His thoughts swirled, but one cold notion rose out of the chaos. _Kiss her!_

He pulled on her hands to get her closer to him and leaned towards her. Her eyes sparkled at him and he exhaled. "Annie..."

"Yes?" She whispered.

"Can I kiss you?"

"You may kiss the bride," she smiled.

He wanted her so bad that it hurt.

His mouth dropped to hers in the middle of her breath so her mouth was open, as if ready for his. His lips were soft and greedy, his tongue inquisitive. Everything that was dormant in her for so long awakened at once under his lips, and under his hands that drew her to him by the waist, until her chest was flushed flat against his. She disentangled her hands and lifted them up to grab the sides of the head, her fingers slipping into his hair. She used her hands to move his head this way and that, whichever suited her at the moment, and thought; I could kiss you forever, sheriff. If I'd known you could kiss like that... His tongue found hers, and she didn't want to stop, but keep tasting him, breathing him. She liked the way his arms wrapped around her, so even if she stood awkwardly, as she did at the moment, she knew she wouldn't fall. He smelled like fruit, and like – well, like a man... The stubble of his beard grazed her cheeks, but she didn't care.

"Jeffrey..." she sighed his name, breathless.

She was suddenly aware of the whistles, hoots and cheers around them and the reality of their setting and situation poured over her like a bucket of cold water.

Jeffrey raised his head from her face, and looked around. Father Garrity was calling, "Shoo, Shoo!" He was already between the pews, forcefully raising and pushing the drunkards. "Go home, it's late!" the priest reprimanded. The man turned to Jeffrey and said, "Are you going to help me, sheriff, or what?"

Jeff reluctantly let go of her, and she couldn't say she was glad about it herself.

With the help of Jeffrey it was easier to remove the drunkards from the church, and when the room was finally empty the priest began to turn off the lanterns. When he reached the lantern near the entrance, he turned to the couple standing there. Annie stared at the carpet purposefully; she couldn't look in the eyes of the holy man after presenting him with such a wanton display.

Jeffrey shook his hand. "Thank you, priest, you've been a great help for us."

"No problem. Will I see you two tomorrow?"

They looked at each other. Sunday, of course.

Annie murmured, "We'll do our best, Father."

Jeff didn't feel as embarrassed as her. "Good night, Father."

The priest nodded. "Good night, just..."

"Yes?" The two looked at him.

"Good luck."

They said their farewell and left.

:::

The streets were finally clear of people, quiet and peaceful as if there wasn't a herd of fool roaming around just a few moments ago. The moon followed them as they strolled side by side, close but not touching. This time she didn't know the way, but her thoughts were so giddy from the kiss that she let him take the lead.

They arrived at a house a few blocks away from Shirley's inn, and Jeff walked to the door. "This is where I live," he told her. She looked up and recognized his house from her town-outings. From outside she couldn't guess that a bachelor lives here, and not a family. "Welcome to my humble dwelling."

They entered; in the dark there was no point to tour the house.

"You probably want to sleep, don't you?"

"Yes," she murmured. He led her up the stairs to the second floor. "This is the guest room, and this is my room." He showed her the two doors on opposite sides of the hallway. "I'll sleep in the guest room, and you'll sleep here," he pointed to his room.

"Why w-"

"My bed is more comfortable." He entered the room and she followed suit, and the bed was indeed wide and long. If she didn't know otherwise, she would think it was a room designed for a couple. He turned to leave.

"Wait, Jeffrey -"

"Yes?"

"I... I need a nightgown."

"Oh, yeah, of course..." He stood for a moment before turning to the box next to the wardrobe. When she stood next to him she realized that it contained his undergarments. He rummaged a bit before taking out a long white garment. "This is my nightshirt; it should be suitable for you, too." Come to think of it, there were other things she would probably want. "Will you want to shower, maybe? Because there is some water there in the corner." He gestured.

"Thanks, I would love that."

He walked away and turned at the entrance. "Would you like something to eat before bed?"

"Yes, the truth is I'm a bit hungry."

"I'll, err, prepare something. Yeah." He closed the door behind him.

Annie looked after him and decided that despite the awkwardness, it wasn't so bad. She removed her clothes, one by one, and tutted when she saw the state of her skirt. _I won't be wearing_ that _again..._ she thought as she removed her hairpins and put them on the bedside table. With no brush in sight she ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to remove the tangles, then knotted it in a loose braid. She used the water in the corner and a piece of soap she found there to take a rapid shower, and felt much better afterwards. She slipped into his nightshirt and chuckled when she saw that the garment came down to her knees, and the neckline was improperly deep. Even though she tied the laces, the slit-cleavage exposed the skin between her breasts. She shrugged her shoulders in front of his mirror.

 _He isn't even going to sleep here... Why should I care if he sees a bit of skin?_

:::

Jeff had cut some vegetables and some smoked meat, and poured two glasses of ale. When she came downstairs there were two plates with food on them on the kitchen table.

"I don't cook a lot -" He stopped when he saw her. His eyes bulged; d _amn... my shirt looks so much better than it should on her._ He couldn't stop himself from scanning her entire body over and over again. _She is definitely not wearing a corset_. And her hair was in a kind of a long braid over her shoulder, but it was so loose that you could almost say her hair was down.

He gulped loudly.

"It's fine, I'm sure that whatever it is I'll devour it," She grinned as she stood beside him, patted his arm and sat down at the table. What was she thinking, from this angle he could see down her shirt! He turned and then returned, and forced himself to sit in the other chair.

"Yeah, well, I warned you." He struggled hard to drag his mind to colder regions in order to sustain the conversation.

 _What have you done, Jeff Winger, what were you thinking marrying her?!_

And on the other hand...

 _What were you thinking when you promised her you won't expect her to sleep with you?!_

"Thanks again. Actually..." She placed her hand on his. "I don't think I ever thanked you. But here I am, wearing your nightshirt, eating dinner in your kitchen, so I thank you."

"Uh, no problem." Why did every word come out with such difficulty? He had to get a hold of himself and quick. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Glad I could help." He avoided her eyes. "You don't have to thank me."

She withdrew her hand and took a bite of the meat. "This evening could have ended completely different for me, so I feel a lot of gratitude at the moment..." She paused for a moment as both of them realized how the evening could have gone so much worse. Jeff swallowed. Annie continued. "It's fine, I think this is the last time I thank you, so you don't have to worry."

"Good."

They ate in silence, and at the end of the meal they cleared the dishes in silence. Then they went upstairs to the rooms. She turned to him in the hallway, right before the bedroom door.

"Jeffrey..." Both of them weren't used to hearing her call him that. "Are you sure you don't want to sleep in your own bed? You said yourself it was more comfortable... I don't mind. I'll stay on my side of the bed, if that's what's bothering you."

"No, no, I'll better sleep in a different room." He assured her. He didn't trust himself to be a gentleman at the moment.

"Are you sure?"

"Miss-" He choked at the word, and she giggled. "Mi-ssus Winger!" he declared emphatically. "I am pretty sure." He smiled, couldn't help himself. When she smiled he felt that finally he did something right.

"Well, if you're sure," she said, still grinning. "Good night."

"Sweet dreams, Mrs. Winger."

Her hands wrapped around his neck without a warning and she kissed him before he could walk away. He didn't think much before pinning her to him, thoughts appearing in his head, _closer, closer, not close enough!_ Her mouth was keen on his and he definitely understood because damn, kissing her was his favorite thing in the world right now. Her lips under his mouth were more plump and pillowy than he ever imagined, and her body was just one cloth away from his body, not including his own clothes, so it was very difficult to let her go with the way his mind was going. And even after he stopped the kiss, he couldn't help himself from taking her mouth again. She made these little moans that drove him mad, but eventually he told himself that if he can't distance himself now, he won't be able to walk away from her at all.

She opened her door and stood there in the doorway, looking at him over her shoulder. Her blue eyes sparkled in the dim light of the hallway, her lips swollen from his kiss, and he bit the inside of his cheek.

"Good night, Mr. Winger."

"Good night, Mrs. Winger." He forced himself to answer. The sound of the closing door was like a torture designed especially for him.

He entered the guest room and locked the door.

:::


	6. Rational

**AN:** so here is the aftermath of a wedding. Basically Jeff and Annie's thoughts are "holly crap we're married now". But it's cool, it's all cool. I think.

Let me know what you think, and enjoy!

Chapter Six - Rational

Jeff strode to the inn, massaging his stiff neck in an attempt to relieve the sore muscles. Annie hadn't left her room yet, and he didn't intend on checking if she was awake.

Shirley came to the door after Elijah had called her, her eyes bleary with exhaustion.

"Jeffrey!" She exclaimed. "Good morning. What are..." her eyes widened. "Annie! Oh no, I forgot all about her... Sheriff, you've got to find her, she went out last night to call the doctor for our Jordan and hasn't returned..." guilt began to pile up as she remembered, she sent the girl the night before and didn't even notice when she hasn't come back! God knows what has happened to her...

"It's fine," he interrupted. "She's okay."

"How do you know? Where is she?"

"She's at my place."

Her eyes widened. "Jeffrey Winger, if you did what I think you did you better-"

"What do you think I did?! No, nothing happened."

"How would I know? Why is she sleeping at your house?" She raised a distrustful eyebrow.

"Shirley, listen-"

"Sheriff, I don't believe you. The girl's in distress and you're taking advantage of it for your own benefit..."

"I really didn't-"

"Shame on you! After everything she's been through..."

"Shirley! She was assaulted last night!" ah, this shut her up.

"What happened to her?" Shirley whispered apprehensively.

"After she went to the doctor, _on your errand_ , he disappeared on her on the way back, and she found herself in a shady part of town. There were some chaps who tried to grab her, but she was smart enough and managed to escape." He tried to stick to the confused story that Annie had told him yesterday. "After she escaped she came to the sheriff's office, and we... well..."

"Is this the part where you tell me you took advantage of her shaky mental state?" Shirley put her fists on her hips.

"No!" Jeff glared at her. "I'm not a monster, you know! I have my boundaries!"

"So what happened? Why didn't you walk her home?"

"She... I... we..." He cleared his throat. "We did what you suggested."

"What's that?"

"We got married."

"You what?"

Jeff repeated, since she seemed to not have heard him. "We got married, Miss Edison and I. Err, Annie and I. Mrs. Winger. She's Mrs. Winger, now." The last words were said to himself.

"You what?"

Jeff scratched his neck. Shirley stared at him with huge eyes and a slack jaw, and he feared he had lost her.

"Mrs. Bennet, are you okay?" She continued to stare at him, "it was your suggestion. I don't understand why you're so shocked."

Shirley emerged from her trance. "I offered it, but I didn't think that it would actually happen..." In fact, since she offered the idea she wondered what had made her think it was so great in the first place, it's not like the sheriff was the only bachelor in town. But he was the only bachelor that Annie showed interest in, plus he had the sheriff's motivation to protect her, in addition to the covert, more personal motivation of Jeffrey the man to protect Annie the woman. But then she thought about it again and remembered all the women he had and still do, recalled his general attitude towards women and marriage. A few days later she found herself thinking, _Good thing they didn't agree to it, it's really such an absurd idea._ But here they are, a week later, and the two were married. _What have you done, Shirley?_

"It was your idea, Shirley. And after a while we both realized it was the best solution. Last night Miss Ed - Annie - convinced me that she really think it's worth our while, and we went straight to the priest."

"You went to the priest in the dead of night?!"

Jeff rolled his eyes and didn't bother to answer. "And then there was no point in going back to the inn; after all, she's supposed to stay with me anyways."

Shirley's mind raced ahead. "Ahh. Yes, I see. Stay with you, sleep in your bed, how convenient."

"Shirley, stop that! Nothing happened!"

She raised her hands defensively. "I'm just saying, it wouldn't be totally weird..."

"It would, so nothing happened. If you must know, I slept in my guest room."

She studied him. "Really? That's strange. I wouldn't say it's necessary, seeing as you're married now..." _and since the former Miss Edison certainly wasn't opposed to a little love-making with you, this woman laid her eye on you_ _ **long ago**_. But maybe it wasn't Shirley's place to tell him that, so she kept her mouth shut. "Well, that's between the two of you, I suppose. How is she? Is she okay?"

"She wasn't awake when I left, so I thought I'd come here to get her things for her. She doesn't even have any clothes to wear."

"Oh, Jeffrey! You're worried about her!" Shirley cheered, clapping her hands.

"It's not..." _gets a bit tiresome to deny it_ , he admitted to himself. "Eh, even if it is, so what."

Shirley watched him with a tilted head, smiling slightly. "That's right. Wow, who would have thought! You, Jeff Winger, the sworn bachelor, married to the town's teacher!"

Jeff frowned and looked away. "This marriage is entirely practical -"

"- To a very attractive woman who you care about -"

"- We did it as a transaction! We were very rational about it -"

"- And I'm sure Annie sees it that way..."

"Ask her yourself!"

"I will!"

"Fine!"

"Fine." Shirley eyed him from the brim of his Stetson to the tips of his boots. "Well, I'm going to pack her stuff for you."

"Thank you!" He scowled at her retreating back.

"Mr. Winger?" Jeff looked down at the boy who was pulling at his hand. It was the second son of Shirley.

"Yes?"

"Are you and Miss Edison married now?"

Jeff took a deep breath. "Yes."

"Does it mean she won't be our teacher anymore?"

"No, it's -" He stopped when he realized he didn't know. "Perhaps. I'll ask her. Or you ask her." He wondered how much more things they still needed to discuss. They definitely skipped a few steps before standing in front of the altar.

The boy nodded sternly. "I hope so, she's awesome. She knows lots of things, and she's always so nice! She's hardly ever angry. Mum's angry at us a lot, but Miss Edison always forgives us." The boy sighed. "I wish she'd always teach us."

Jeff found himself agreeing.

:::

The ceiling wasn't familiar to her, after she rolled over in bed and dared to lift her head off the pillow. She had dreamed of Mr. Winger just before waking, and for a few moments didn't know why. In the dream he spoke with Rich, before they both turned to look at her, and she wanted the earth to swallow her whole. Then the dream became a mishmash of cows and children laughing at her. Now, as she stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling, she remembered why.

 _You married the sheriff_ , she said to herself. _Mr. Winger married you. No, not Mr. Winger, Jeffrey. Jeffff-rrrrrrrrrey._

"Jeffrey." The word was still strange on her tongue. She'll get used to it.

The dress was unwearable. _This one is going to burn, and as soon as possible_. She doesn't want to wear it ever again. She thought about leaving the room, but what if Mr. Winger sees her? In broad daylight her behavior last night seemed so shameful. The way she threw herself on him... she brushed her fingers over her lips. His mouth was strong and steady against hers, and he knew how to make a girl feel desired in his arms... Speaking of his arms, the feel of them around her was thrilling, his long fingers on her back, his muscles stretching against her skin, his chest solid under her palm...

 _Seriously, is this all you can think about? The man has other virtue_ _s_ _except a mouthwatering body, you know._

The thought of leaving the room and meeting him in the shin-revealing, low-cut, thin nightshirt, without any more clothing underneath, made her cheeks burn. What must he be thinking of her? Probably that she's a woman of no self-control. Well, maybe not, after all he did like his married women...

Yes, his other women. She knew they existed. She pondered with furrowed brows that they would probably continue to exist, and she has no right to tell him anything about it. He didn't marry her out of enthusiastic love declarations, but in order to help her. She had no right to tell him with whom to be. She decided to keep those thoughts for later inspection.

In the meantime, she stacked the dress in a heap and threw it beside the door, and decided to wear at least her underclothes, which included panties, petticoats (which will have to function as a skirt) and the corset she wore beneath her dress.

She tied the ribbons in the front of her corset and studied herself in the mirror. She looked like a laundress in her whites, or like a loose woman, but she preferred the first option. She braided her hair into a tighter, fresh braid, twisted it around itself and pinned it to the base of her head. Another glance in the mirror focused on the tops of her breasts that stood out above the tightened corset, and she recalled her shawl. She found it on the side of the room and enveloped herself in it, covering her shoulders and chest.

She left the room nervously, went to the opposite door and knocked. "Je... Jeffrey?" She tried. There was no response. She reached over and opened the door slowly, and peered inside. The room was empty. She exhaled at length and opened the door completely.

The bed was right in front of her, under the window, and the whole room was almost half the size of the room where she had slept. The room had only a bed and a chest for clothes. She came over and stretched the messy bed linens (he definitely slept here tonight) and took the opportunity to check the length of the bed. _Yes, as I suspected; this bed is definitely too short for him._ When she lay down her toes could touch the wall. And she was much shorter than him. _He must have suffered from rigid limbs_ _today_. She shook her head. _If only he would sleep in his own bed..._

Having set the room to her satisfaction, she decided to explore the rest of the house. There were no other rooms upstairs, so she stepped down the steep stairs. Downstairs there were only two rooms, one was the sitting room, which was also the entrance room, and in it was a sheriff-sized sofa, another chair and low table, with no further ornaments.

The second room was the kitchen, which had a sink, several cabinets and shelves with dishes on, black cooking stove and a table with two chairs where they sat last night. Because there were only two rooms, the kitchen was relatively large, comfortable for two people to move freely in it. When she walked to the end she found a nice pantry which was almost empty.

 _How does he eat?_ He didn't have a cook, not that she knew of, and the kitchen didn't seem like it was used frequently. But it looked usable, so she resolved to use it, today if possible.

He probably didn't eat at home much; otherwise he would have a separate dining room. She shook her head, remembering her little house with Rich, where even there they had a dining room separate from the kitchen...

 _Annie Edison_ , she said to herself, _Jeffrey is not Rich, and the two shouldn't be compared_.

The sound of the opening door startled her. She adjusted her shawl and walked into the other room. It was the sheriff, shoving the door with his shoulder. His eyes lit up when he saw her, and he smiled. "Good morning, Mrs. Winger," he greeted her. "Good morning," she flushed for some reason. When he entered she saw why he did it with the help of a shoulder; he was carrying her suitcases.

"Oh, you brought my stuff over!" She rushed to him.

"Yeah, me and Elijah Bennett..." He nodded behind him, and she saw the short boy waiting behind him to enter, holding a small bag with bumps, apparently her books.

"Elijah, good morning!" Annie beamed. She was quite glad to have her clothes back. "Thank you so much, I didn't know what to do without my things..."

Jeffrey shrugged. "I thought you'd want something to wear. Shall I put the things in the room?"

"Uh... yes."

"Miss Edison, have you really married the sheriff?" Elijah inquired.

"Well," she had slept in his house instead of the inn, which was something she wouldn't have done were they not married. But no one was at the wedding except for a dozen drunks, and she had no ring to prove it so... "Yes, we got married last night. Father Garrity was kind enough to marry us."

"Can I tell George?" He asked. The boy was bouncing on his feet as if dying to run and tell him right away.

"Huh, yes, I assume there shouldn't be a problem."

"Yes! Congratulations, Miss Edison!"

"Actually it's no longer Miss -" she started to say, but he wasn't there anymore. Well, there will be time for that later. She shut the door behind him and went upstairs.

Jeff had placed the bags beside the bed and was looking for something in the closet. He found the shirt he wanted to wear when Annie entered.

"Thanks again." she adjusted her shawl around her but he caught a hint of thick cream fabric with white sateen ribbons, and the realization that it was probably her corset did strange things to his brain.

"No problem," he bared his teeth in a broad grin, hoping that if she was dazzled she wouldn't notice the course that his eyes took over her body.

"I looked around the house," she informed him after a lengthy minute of silence.

"Yes?"

"You have a charming home... I couldn't help but notice that there is no dining room."

"I almost never eat here," he shrugged. "Usually I eat at Pierce's Salon, either that or one of the women brings us food to the Sheriff's Office."

"Oh." She seemed lost in thought.

"It's a problem?"

"No, no, I just thought... I mean, if it's just you and me its fine..." She looked up. "Actually, I want to make you dinner tonight, is it okay if I go buy some things to fill the pantry?"

He gestured widely. "Mi casa su casa," he thought about it, "literally. This is your home now. You can do whatever you want with it."

She smiled to herself. "Be careful with the permission you give me, I might break down the walls."

"You might, but somehow I figure you won't."

She was already thinking: _some ornaments and pictures on the walls won't hurt_...

Her eyes focused back on him and she gasped when he pulled off his shirt, and threw it into the open trunk. He paid no attention to her, and pulled over his head the new shirt he took out of the closet.

 _Oh, he probably wore the same outfit as yesterday... I wish he didn't put on the shirt so fast._ She really wanted to get a better look at those chest muscles, and his abdomen... wow. Her mouth watered, and it definitely wasn't appropriate timing. Also, apparently, it wasn't on his mind at the moment.

"I am going to the office, I give you full permission to do whatever you want with the house and kitchen. Really, this is your house too. Feel free." He passed by her and patted her shoulder amicably. "See you tonight?" he asked.

"See you," she murmured.

:::

She arranged her belongings in the closet (there was room on one side) wore a different dress that was a bit more modest than the corset, and when she arranged her hair with additional pins, it occurred to her that she couldn't really continue to wear the black dresses anymore. A second attempt to buy colorful clothes? Not at the moment, but it's certainly an idea.

First she needed to see what her situation was outside...

She stood in front of the door, swallowed several times, closed and opened clenched hands as she mentally spurred herself on. _It would be okay... If you don't leave you will never know... Just breathe, and it will pass._..

She stepped outside.

:::

Elijah had told George, and his mother who happened to be standing behind them at the time heard him, so she told her neighbor, who told Carol the greengrocer who told Samantha, and Abed was passing by and heard them so he spread it to on the others. In less than an hour the whole town knew that their sheriff had finally married, and not only that, but the woman he married was the beautiful teacher that rumors painted her in a particularly unflattering light. The tongues haven't stopped talking and speculating.

She has been spotted going to the market, and more than one pair of eyes watched her as she walked.

"Congratulations!" The butcher boasted cordially.

"Thank you," she nodded with a graceful smile. As he wrapped the meat he commented, "Isn't it a bit hasty?"

"A bit," she agreed. But despite his gaze that asked for an explanation, she had no such one to give him, so she just thanked him and moved on.

She could feel the stares of people, but decided that they were far less hostile today. Most people fell silent as she walked by, but not out of a wish to ignore her but out of.. surprise? Hesitation? She wasn't sure.

"Mrs. Winger," She raised her head to see Abed, quickly advancing to her with a notebook and a pen in hand.

"Hello, Mr. Nadir."

"Psh, just Abed. So it's true? You really did marry him?"

"Yes, I married the sheriff."

"Can you give me some more information? For the newspaper, you see."

"Abed – do you think this is a story suitable for the town's newspaper?"

"More than suitable." And without blinking, "I need information: When you got married, where, who was at the wedding, why you got married."

"Err..." Well, it wouldn't hurt to give some information. "We got married yesterday in the church. Father Garrity married us."

"Who was there besides him?"

"No one - Uh, no, actually there were quite a few of people I didn't know... I think one of them is called Alex? I don't know, most of them were intoxicated.."

"Ah, a spontaneous wedding with unannounced participants. Unconventional, positively attention-grabbing. Our readers would love to hear about it." He scribbled rapidly in his notebook. "Why did you get married?"

"Uh..." Damn, why didn't she think of this before? She couldn't say 'because people treated me terribly and the sheriff was so noble that he decided to marry me'. That would be ridiculous, and if people believed it, embarrassing. Why didn't they figure out a cover story?

"...Love?" She yelped.

"Oh, you're going with that? Fine, I'll see what I can do with that. That's the official version." He drew two definitive lines in his notebook. "Well, it's better than some of the other things I've heard."

Annie's ears perked. "What? What have you heard? People talk about us?"

"First of all, duh, obviously people are talking about you. Nobody believed that Jeff Winger would ever marry. There are several fair girls who attempted to attract him in the past, and to this day no one has succeeded. Most of them are married by now, by the way. And from what I hear, the main theory is that you are pregnant with his child, and you forced him to marry you."

Annie felt her legs weaken. "...And what are the other theories?" she asked in a faint voice.

"That you're not pregnant, but you made him think that way so he'll marry you. It's a minor but significant difference, and it makes you look more sinister. But worry not; the majority thinks that you are merely 'easy'."

"...That's not what worries me." She rocked back on her heels and tipped forward. Abed reached out and steadied her.

"Hey, Mrs. Winger, you okay? You turned white, you look like you're going to pass out."

"I... no, I'm fine." _It's just extra rumors, and it's not as bad as the previous ones._ "I just didn't know people can be so mean."

"On second thought," Abed mused, "Maybe I shouldn't have told you what people say. Oh well," he shrugged. "If it's any consolation, there are people who think the sheriff simply fell in love with you. What you said confirms it."

"Aha..."

"What did you wear?"

"What?"

"At the wedding, what did you wear? For the report in the newspaper."

"What? Oh, yes... nothing special, we didn't exactly had time to think... We did it in the heat of the moment, I was wearing one of my black dresses..."

"Oh. Disappointing. Women generally like to read about beautiful dresses. But I guess it evens out because of the romanticism of a spontaneous wedding in the middle of the night."

"If you say so," Annie wasn't sure. Abed was strange, but she hasn't yet figured out what type of strange exactly.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to interview the priest now, get some objective perspective on the story."

"Yeah, definitely..." He wasn't there at the end of the word.

She peeked around. People were still looking at her, but with more curiosity now. And she still had a shopping list to complete. She went back to task with less dread than before. She felt encouraged when she hadn't heard a word from anyone about her mock pregnancy, and every time someone congratulated her, her back straightened a little more, so that at the end of the round she even had the courage to go to the seamstress.

When she entered a woman who fell silent as soon as she saw her, and Annie managed to hear, "...I saw him looking at her; he always had eyes for her..."

Annie cleared her throat. "I... would like to order some new dresses?" to her surprise, the seamstress smiled. It was a professional smile, but still an improvement. "Of course, a wife must look good in the eyes of her husband, doesn't she?"

"Err... right." It was pretty close to the truth, actually.

"I have some new fabrics, I'm sure they will look great with your complexion." the seamstress approached the corner of the store and Annie followed suit. Her attitude seemed to turn one hundred and eighty degrees.

The fabrics she showed Annie were beautiful, even though some of them were too bright. She decided on the darker hues, so as not to completely erase the memory of her late husband. The bright colors were beautiful on her, but it wasn't the right time. The seamstress took her body measurements and marked the samples that Annie asked for. Annie left the store feeling relieved, floating on air.

The future looked so much brighter now.

:::

Everyone who saw him wanted to talk only about his brand new marriage, and although it was understandable, it irritated him. Troy demanded to know why he wasn't invited to the wedding, seeing as he considered himself to be his closest friend (he wasn't, but if he had any friends, Troy would probably be the closest one). Duncan joked with him that it was a surprise he even left the bed, and that was the most subtle comment he had heard all day. Damn, these men had dirty minds, and it irked him to unimaginable levels. Good thing he married her, if that's what all the men were thinking of her!

He had heard the pregnancy rumors several times, and each time denied them altogether. He insisted that (the former) Miss Edison was a respectable woman, and that he never even touched her before the wedding. Which was true, so he didn't understand why everyone he told that eyed him skeptically.

Pierce said he didn't have to pretend with him. In response Jeff insisted passionately, "I'm not pretending. She is so respectable I didn't even kiss her before the wedding, and if I did I'm sure she would have slapped me!" But he shouldn't have talked to Pierce in the first place; this man gets on his nerves on a good day.

He was glad to call it a day and go home, but, no, his house was no longer his alone. He was used to his solitude and for a fleeting second he pouted in the face of the need to talk to another person, and moreover, in his own house... But it passed when he remembered that this person was the small teacher. _Annie_. With this in mind he stepped inside.

The smell of cooking immediately struck his nose, and he breathed it in. He stood in the kitchen doorway, leaning against the doorpost, looking at Miss... Annie stirring something on the stove.

"I didn't know this oven even works," he remarked, and she gasped, spinning to him.

"Jeffrey! You startled me. I didn't even hear you come in."

She looked like herself again, except for the white apron she was wearing. Her hair was well arranged and her eyes shone and her cheeks were rosy from cooking or from the scare he gave her, he wasn't sure. But she was lovely.

"I apologize," he said offhand, then came up to the pots. Standing beside her, he asked, "What are you preparing for us?"

"This is beef," she pointed, "and here are potatoes with sweet potatoes."

"It smells fantastic." He couldn't remember a time when someone was cooking in this kitchen. The smells were magnificent.

"Sit down; I'll fill you a plate." She nodded.

"You want me to fix the table?"

"That will be great." She gave him her secretive smile and his heart leapt. _Sit, bad boy_ , he chided his heart and went to take out cutlery.

The food was as great it smelled, and he ate greedily. On the other side of the table she looked at him with an amused expression.

"We're a little hungry, aren't we?"

"Aha," he nodded with a mouth full of potatoes. She poured herself some ale and offered him some too. They finished eating in relative silence, and then cleared the table together, like the night before. Jeff put his dishes in the sink and leaned on the table behind her, looking at her back as she began to wash the dishes.

"So how was your day?" She asked.

"Fine, except I found out that people are more infuriating than usual. You?"

"Folks congratulated me on my marriage."

"Yes? No one bugged you?" She shook her head.

"No, no one, that is... Abed questioned me for the newspaper. And he asked me why we got married..."

"What did you tell him?"

"I didn't know what to tell him. So I said, 'Love'."

"Aha, yeah, that makes sense," she glanced over her shoulder and saw him nodding thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry if it embarrasses you, I didn't know what else to say..."

"No, it's fine. It's the most logical reason... We got married with such haste, people need some explanation..." He hoped she hadn't heard about the pregnancy theories.

"Yes, Abed had told me what most people think..."

Oh no.

"That I'm pregnant with your child and forced you to marry me. At least they think it's your child." She shook her head to the dishes.

"Annie, I'm so sorry..."

She finished washing and dried her hands on her apron. "Don't be. It's not your fault. Knowingly or not I made myself a name in this town, and it's hard to shake it off." She turned to him and leaned against the sink.

She added, "You've already done more than you had to." Since he was half leaning-half sitting on the table his eyes were finally at her level, and it was nice not to twist her neck in order to look at him. He had beautiful eyes, dark and kind, and when he smiled at her laugh lines formed at the corners of his eyes.

"You're thanking me again? I thought you promised not to do that..." He shook his head, with a roguish grin she replied with a grin of her own.

"I'm sorry, it just came out. Not going to happen again. Unless..." She stood up, and in the spur of the moment stepped between his knees and wrapped her arms around his neck. The look he gave her was surprised, but he didn't push her away.

"You will do something to make me feel particularly grateful..." She leaned forward and brushed his lips with hers. His hands went up to rest down her waist, his thumbs brushing against the sides of her stomach, causing her to lose her breath that was short as it is. Though she kissed him first, he dived into the kiss with the same fervor as her, and his tongue found its way into her mouth almost immediately. She leaned into him more, pressing herself to his chest and lowering her hands to his neck, shoulders...

"Annie," he extricated himself, panting, and his hands on her hips moved her away. She felt her outstretched lips fall disapprovingly, like a little girl whose toy was taken from her.

"Jeffrey..." she complained. She leaned in order to kiss him again.

"No, wait a second." She paused.

"Wait, I'm... just a second, I need to think..." she groaned and let him go, taking a step back.

"I'm sorry, you didn't want me to do that?"

"No, no, don't think that I don't like it..."

"Don't you?"

"No! I mean, yes..." He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling his carefully arranged hair. "I mean... Wow. I can't think when you kiss me."

"Is it... good?" She asked hesitantly.

"It means that the kiss is good, but it isn't good when I can't think!"

"Why do we have to think?" She shrugged.

"Why?.." He shook his head. "We can't, Annie. It's not right."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not! Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough last night."

"Jeffrey, we don't have to do anything if you're not comfortable with it..."

"It's not just that, I..." He ran his hand over his face. "Look, Annie, when you suggested we get married I did it out of pure intentions, truly, because I felt I had to help you and I couldn't see you suffer anymore."

"And?..."

"And you already intend to clean my house, and prepare my meals, and you do it to give me something in return. It's like... a form of payment for the help I gave you."

"How rational of me." Annie crossed her arms over her chest and frowned, trying to decipher him.

"I know you may think it's a good idea but you're still thanking me... even though I asked you not to, it is impossible not to feel that way. You want to give me back for the favor I've done for you, don't you?"

She had to admit he was right. "Yes, I do feel very grateful to you, still." She murmured, avoiding his eyes.

"And if we sleep together it will be out of that. You're still blinded by the feeling of gratitude, and you might think it would be a good idea to sleep with me, but afterwards you might wake up and regret it. Maybe you'll see that you did things you didn't actually want to do. Do you still think it's a good idea?"

Annie looked up and studied him intently. His face was sincere and she wondered to herself, _maybe I underestimated his wordly insight_. She didn't want to think that gratitude caused her to shamelessly kiss him and rub her body against his like a cat in heat, but the truth was that she did feel a huge obligation for him at the moment. And maybe this feeling affected her actions and emotions a tiny bit at the moment. Just a tiny.

"Okay," she sighed at last. He nodded and left the room.

She chased him on the way up, "Wait a minute, Jeffrey!" He stopped at the top of the stairs to look at her, and she felt even smaller. She pushed past him, stood in the hallway and turned to him. "Don't sleep in the guest room."

"Why not-"

"It's too small, the bed is too short, it's not a good place for you."

"I know."

"Fantastic! So come sleep in your bed. I'll sleep in the guest room."

"Out of the question."

"So maybe..." She took a deep breath. "Hear me out. We'll sleep in your room together, I'll behave like a rational woman and won't try anything, and we can both sleep in the big, comfortable bed, and no one will have to suffer. Please."

He stared at her. The guest room was clearly uncomfortable, and he knew it because his neck and legs still ached from the night before. He didn't want her to sleep there, she was a guest and deserved better than that. And she promised not to try anything...

(A small part of him thought: _Maybe if she does try something, it wouldn't be so terrible..._ )

"Fine," he came to a decision. "You're right, it is better."

"Yes!" She raised a triumphant fist in the air. Her expression was like a cat that was left to guard the cream. _On second thought_... he panicked, but she already entered the room and began to show him the clothes she arranged in the closet. He took his pajamas and went outside to let her prepare for the night, and when he returned breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her nightdress. It was a long white dress with loose fitting sleeves and a small neckline, much more modest than the nightshirt he gave her the night before.

Annie spread the rejuvenating cream on her skin and tied her hair in a braid, smiling to herself. _Small victories, this is the way with this man_. She glanced at him beneath her lashes as he ran a comb through his hair and sat on the bed. _He sleeps on the right side of the bed_... she noted as he got beneath the covers. Why was it so important not to consummate their marriage? Did he not understand how much she wanted him? She swallowed and tried not to think about it, after all she promised to be rational, and Annie (Edison) Winger has always been a rational woman.

She went under the covers and laid on her side, her back to him. After a minute she changed her mind and turned over to the other side, and found him watching her, his hands clasped behind his head. She cleared her throat. "Good night," she muttered, glancing up at him for a brief second, then looking down. She didn't know how her eyelashes fluttered when she did so, and how his eyes were drawn to her pressed lips a moment later.

"Good night. Hope you're comfortable." He said quietly.

"Thanks." A second later: "If it's okay that I'm thanking you."

"I'll allow this one."

"Good."

He looked at her curled up next to him, the heavy blanket covered her and yet she hugged herself and buried her head under the covers.

"Are you cold?"

"Hmm?"

"Annie, are you cold?"

"A little. It's not so bad."

He sighed. "Come here." When she looked at him questioningly, he reached his arm and pulled her to him, and her body clung to him like a bee to a flower. She snuggled up to him until she found a position that was comfortable for her, her head on his shoulder, under his chin and her fist at the center of his chest. He exhaled.

It really was comfortable.

"You're so warm..." she sighed with relief.

"Yes, that's me, Jeff Winger, human blanket."

She giggled quietly. He felt the sound passes through her body into his.

"Good night." she muttered. "Go to sleep."

"Okay."

He stared at the ceiling and thought, _I could definitely get used to this_.

:::


	7. Shocked

**AN:** It's been a while. I know. And this one is shorter than my usual chapters, but I wanted to give you something. You can think of it as a half chapter, since the next part will be kind of in the same theme.

J&A appreciation week? That's awesome. Sign me up.

If you like this please tell me, it really helps when I know people are counting on me to write. But no pressure;)

Enjoy and DFTBA

:::

Chapter Seven

Annie walked into the inn without knocking on the door. Only when she turned to close the door behind her she realized she should have knocked, since she wasn't living there anymore.

"Annie, we've been waiting for you."

She jumped and spun toward to the voice. The scene in front of her was of three people sitting in sofas in the living room of the inn, two women and a man. One of the women was Shirley, but the other two were unfamiliar.

"Mrs. Winger, nice to meet you," the woman said. Shirley waved her over and Annie approached cautiously. "Congratulations on your new marriage."

"Many thanks," Annie nodded, smoothing her hand over her skirt. "May I ask... who is milady?"

Shirley let out a gasp that was comprised of surprise and horror. "Where are my manners! Of course you don't know our distinguished guests." She patted the chair on her left and Annie set down.

"Annie, this is the Mayor, Mr. Pelton," Annie nodded to the slim man in a gray suit and a top hat, who was sitting in front of her beside the woman. _So this is the famous mayor..._

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Winger, it's lovely to finally meet our teacher!" He smiled and waved a flashy cane, his voice rising and falling in a melody that didn't fit the words he was saying.

"And this is Mrs. Frankie Dart, the Mayor's sister." The woman who greeted her earlier wore a taffeta dress, gray as well, more modest than most but well-made and adorned with stripes and ruffles. Her brilliant brown hair was worn in a stern bun. She raised a demure hand from her seat. "Nice to meet you, I've heard a lot of good things about you."

"Really?" Annie blurted warily, gasped and covered her mouth in a flash. "I'm sorry, I am being cautious because some people have spread unkind things about me here in town."

"Yes, I've heard about that, and I am sorry. If I'd arrived earlier I might have done something about it..." Mrs. Dart replied while her eyes darted to the mayor, reprimanding him silently. Annie watched them baffled.

"Mrs. Dart came to visit her brother barely a day ago," Shirley provided an explanation.

"The way I read the situation, I think I'll stay." The woman in gray added. The criticizing quality to her voice caused Annie to fidget in her seat, but she suddenly realized that the lady was directing the criticism at her brother. A brief look at him confirmed the hypothesis, when his smile vanished and he hung his head in guilt.

"Yes, I let the situation deteriorate, I admit it. It's my fault. I should have taken care of our teacher, but there are so much finances and stuff to town running that sometimes it's amazing that I can even find my own head!" He waved his hands around the head in question and sighed dramatically. "It's okay," his sister murmured and patted his back. "No one blames you. Isn't it so, Mrs. Winger?"

Annie stared at the man puzzled. So far she hasn't even met the guy, and she certainly didn't accuse him of her troubles. But that was far off from consoling him... "I guess so," she shrugged. "It's not his fault that people gossip."

Shirley shook her head. "It is not the mayor's role to help individuals," she added her opinion. "That's why we went to the sheriff for help."

"Anyway," Mrs. Dart removed her hand off his back, "as I was saying, I've heard good things about you. Mrs. Bennett was just telling us about your professional abilities as a teacher."

"Oh, I'm not..." Annie started to protest the obligatory humility, and was stopped by Mrs. Dart. "No need to get modest. When I passed through Thornton I asked about you and heard testimony about your good nature and your volunteer work in church. And I took the opportunity to interview the children that I saw yesterday what they think about studying with you."

"Really, Frankie?" The mayor stared at her adoringly.

"Sure," she nodded. "When I heard she got married it occurred to me instantly that she might want to leave the position, of course. That's the reason we are here today," she turned to Annie.

"I didn't exactly give it much thought..."

"I have inquired about you, and I must say that I am pleased with my brother's choice." The man sat upright just a bit more and his skinny chest filled with pride.

"And we would like to request that you will not leave the children of Greendale, but keep functioning as our teacher." Mrs. Dart smiled.

"I..." Annie began hesitantly. "Mrs. Dart..."

"You can call me Frankie. We are all friends here."

"Frankie, it's very kind of you." And since the woman's smile seemed genuine, she smiled back. "Actually I have not given thought to whether or not I shall continue to teach, but I figured I might want to have some time off. I just went through some difficult times."

Frankie looked at her brother, who looked helpless and sought Shirley's eyes in turn. The innkeeper nodded. "Some women of the town had declared an excommunication," she shook her head. "It was nasty. And the other day some men even assaulted her..."

"Is it true?" Frankie turned to her.

"It is true, sadly." Annie muttered. She tried hard not to think about _that_ since then. Things have changed, she told herself. There is no reason to dwell on the past. "Then we got married, Jeffrey and I."

Frankie started to say something but Annie didn't hear it, Jeffrey's name reminding her of the last time she saw him.

She recalled that morning, how his face was crushed into his pillow and his arm was still around her. She had forgotten what it's like to sleep with another person in her bed, and it was easy to admit that her body was happy about the change. His body was warm in the morning chill, and he was wrapped around her even when asleep. At first she just snuggled up to him, breathing in the smell that was unique to him. He lay on his stomach but half of his body covered her, including his arm around her waist. She eventually had to move away from him, when it became clear beyond doubt that he was awake and it would be embarrassing if she kept clinging to him like a lovesick girl. He said nothing while she prepared and got dressed, but continued to lie in bed, his arm covering his eyes. When she left the room he muttered, 'Good morning' in a voice hoarse with sleep, and she found it so endearing that her awkwardness finally faded.

"...So we agree?"

"Sorry, what did you say?" Annie shook herself back to the present.

"I said that if you are in good spirits and feeling better, you can go back to work as soon as the following days. The children need education. They need you, and if there is forgiveness in your heart, Greendale needs you too. Agreed?"

"I..." in truth, it didn't require much thought. She loved her job and only wanted to return to the way things used to be. "I'll say yes, but only if that is what the women want. They had removed their children from my class, if you have not heard."

Shirley stepped in. "I did go yesterday to the women's gathering, and I can tell you that even though most women are suspicious of your motives for marrying Jeff, most of them think it's safe to entrust their children back in your hands. If you would be to decide to go back to teaching."

"So you agree, yes?" Ms. Dart said again. Her voice wasn't exactly commanding, but it had the finality that suggested Mrs. Dart was used to people doing what she tells them to do. Annie nodded.

"Yeah, but not tomorrow. In a couple of days. I'm thinking, Thursday maybe? Yeah, Thursday seems right."

Frankie seemed pleased. "You seem to be a woman in possession of a good head on her shoulders, Mrs. Winger. It seems to me that you and I will get along very well." She held out her hand to shake Annie's, who shook back with growing confidence.

"Magnificent!" the mayor proclaimed. "I'm so glad we figured it out." He sprang to his feet and rubbed his hands together. "We're back to normal, everyone," he announced, stomping his stick on the living room carpet.

When Shirley and Annie accompanied the guests to the door, Frankie told the innkeeper, "Mrs. Bennett, there's something I want to discuss with you..." and they both went first, leaving Annie to accompany the mayor. He paused at the door, fidgeting. Annie didn't urge him.

"Mrs. Winger, I've heard rumors..."

"Mr. Pelton, you may not want to open with that, I have bad experience with rumors," Annie deadpanned.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry, I wasn't thinking... Where's my head!" He went out of his way to apologize. "I meant the wedding rumors; I've heard our sheriff finally fell in love..."

"Oh," Annie muttered faintly. That. She stretched her lips into a smile.

"Yes? It is true?" He looked at her with desperate eyes, searching for something she could not give him. _What do you want me to tell you, dear Mr. Pelton?_

"Yes, I am happy to inform you that it is true. It finally happened." She smiled, happy she didn't have to say an explicit lie.

"Oh..." His shoulders slumped as if all his wind was blown off. "I never thought..." he began weakly but cleared his throat, "I mean, good! Good to hear! He was incorrigible, our eternal bachelor." He pasted a smile on his face. "There was no woman who could seize his heart..." he returned to unintelligible mumblings.

Annie cleared her throat. "Yes, and I'm happy to be his wife," She felt the need to state. The mayor was in a world of his own, it seemed, and she tried to reach him without much success.

"Very well, very well." He awoke suddenly, his voice rising an octave. "No life without a wife, they say! I am not married myself, of course, but I heard that's what they say..." He nodded vigorously like a mad man. Suddenly he laced his fingers together in front of his mouth and looked into her eyes. "Mrs. Winger, I beg you. Be good to him. He has a tender heart, he needs a woman that knows how to take care of him..."

She had not seen any sign of it thus far, but she wasn't going to argue with the mayor. "Of course," she nodded, as if trying to pacify a child, "I'll be good to him. That's all I want, truly."

He nodded and seemed to believe her.

When they stepped outside Shirley patted Annie's folded hands. The mayor helped his sister get on a waiting carriage (she apparently didn't want to dirty her beautiful dress with the dust of the road), and soon they were on their way.

"You made the right decision," Shirley told her. "It was your dream, or did you forget? To work and get paid for? You never intended to get married and stop working, it was never the goal, that's what you told me time and again. And that certainly wasn't my idea when I suggested you marry. The children love you, I know this from those two fine boys of mine. They learned more this year than they've ever learned. Besides," she broke off abruptly and Annie detached her eyes from the dust-raising carriage. "Since I was at the women's gathering yesterday, I must tell you that you must be at the next gathering. You're married now; they will be expecting to see you there."

Annie smiled feebly. She didn't want to join the women who tore her down, but it was the first step towards making amends. "I'll be there."

:::

"Hello? Jeffery, are you here?"

The sheriff's office seemed empty for a moment, but before long there was shuffling of legs. "Who is it? Miss Edison, is that you?" The deputy entered from the office, grinning from ear to ear. "What an honor to host the newly sheriff's wife!" he said, laying a hand on his heart.

"Mrs. Winger," she said almost inaudibly.

"What? Jeff isn't here, Mrs. Winger." Troy switched between the two names without noticing one bit. "But come, sit with me. He should be in soon."

"Oh... okay." She hadn't seen any harm in waiting a bit with Mr. Barnes, so she sat down in the chair he offered in the office.

"So Mrs Winger... can I call you ma'am? In short?"

"You can call me Annie," she suggested.

"Troy," he intertwined his fingers and rested his chin on his hands. "So I understand that you and Jeff got married the way you did because, and I quote, 'you fell in love'. Abed wasn't very specific. And since you two kept from me this whole affair of yours, I demand to know the details. Spill the beans."

Annie exhaled at length, feeling like a rabbit that was caught the moment it left the burrow. "What... what do you wish to know?"

"When did this affair start?" He shot.

"Ah..." hell, why didn't she talk it over with Jeff? It's ridiculous, she was caught unprepared the second day in a row. Annie decided to go for the safe and vague. "You can say from the very beginning, but the truth is it took us time to get to know each other better, so perhaps... two weeks after that." It was when he came to rescue Woody, so that sounded like a reasonable timing.

"And when did you realize that you love him?"

"Mr. Barnes! This is between me and my husband." She placed her hand on her heart in fake outrage, hoping he will buy it.

Troy merely shrugged. "Well, I'll just ask Jeff."

"No! I mean... there wasn't a specific moment, I just... One day I looked at him and realized that this was it." Nothing that can be disproved.

"And how did Jeff propose to you?"

Oh, that one was easy. "He told me, 'Let's do it, let's get married.' Romantic, isn't it?" She was joking, of course, but he put his hands on his hips and tutted. "Actually it's very romantic, but you have no idea, do you? You didn't know him before you came. He was never going to get married. No woman was able to change his mind." He leaned forward, waiting for her reaction.

"I...'ve heard something like that." She murmured.

"And I'll never forgive him that I wasn't there with you two, but _you_ have nothing to worry about, I fancy you. I wish you only happiness, Annie."

"Thank you." She bit her lip, thinking how to avert the subject. "So... how do you know him?" Fortunately his face lit up all over.

"Oh, oh! That's a great story!"

:::

Jeff came into the office wiping his hands from the dust of the street, and sighed from the bottom of his heart. He spent the last hour arguing with Vaughn who tied himself to a tree and wouldn't come down until his current beloved, some unfortunate lass, will accept him back. Of course, to begin with, Jeff tried to convince her to agree. But even his famed powers of persuasion have failed to convince the girl to take back the guy who refused to get a job and instead wrote poems. Jeff had no problem with poem writing, but it was a waste of time if you had no talent for it.

Eventually he managed to convince him to come down and try to write for her the world's greatest love sonnet, and hoped that it would keep him out of trouble for at least a week.

"...And then Jeff halted his horse a second before it ran over Dirty Bob and told him, 'so you better go and never come back, because nobody messes with Greendale!' " he heard Troy's voice and... was he mimicking Jeff's speech?

"I don't believe it!" clapping and Annie's voice. "He really said that? Tell me you didn't make it up. It's too good to be true..."

"I swear, and they went and never showed their butts here again!"

Her surprised laughter rang out and Jeff saw red. He had never heard her laugh like that. Why did she laugh like that with Troy? He stepped toward the room and paused.

"Oh my! Forgive me, ma'am, I forgot who I was talking to. My deeply sincere apologies."

He heard her chuckling. "Apology accepted. And thanks for telling me, Jeffrey didn't get to tell me how he became the sheriff yet."

Troy snorted incredulously. "Clearly, you were so busy with Loooove," again with the excessive syllable stretching. "He's probably spending all day long staring at you and thanking his good fortune that you agreed to marry him."

"Troy, stop, we just got married a day ago... Jeffrey doesn't do that..." She called him Troy. Her voice was full of glee. He thought he heard her pushing at him playfully.

"He doesn't do it when you look!" Troy clearly thought it was the punch line because he was doubled over with laughter.

Jeff frowned and shook his head. What just happened? Was he jealous of Troy? Troy was only a boy. His right hand man, too. And he was very friendly, but harmlessly so.

Besides, Annie wasn't Jeff's beloved.

Just his wife.

"And good afternoon to you," he announced, finally entering the room.

Annie sat on the chair, her face flushed and her eyes twinkling merrily. Her hands took hold of her face. "Jeffrey!" Her pitch was a bit too high. "We were just speaking about you!"

Troy nodded. "Speaking of the devil..."

"Troy, I'll be grateful if you don't call me the devil in front of my wife." He said it in good part, and her eyes leaped to his.

"She'll find out sooner or later..." Troy continued to think he was funny. The boy was wiping mirthful tears from the corners of his eyes.

"Ha ha. Hilarious." Jeff wondered if he should kiss her, perhaps on the cheek. That's what married couples do when they see each other, right?

"Troy, come on." Annie pleaded, her voice still filled with laughter. "He actually told me good things about you, Jeffrey..." He decided to lay his hand on her shoulder and immediately regretted it. _This is so awkward..._ he pulled his hand away. "What..." He cleared his throat. "What did Troy say?"

"He told me how you became the sheriff. Wow, what a story! I didn't know you were so brave." She gave him a look and his confidence returned like the high tide when he thought, _heroic tales certainly do it for her_. Should keep in mind for future use.

"Yeah, well, you know me. Humility is my middle name." he flashed a smile at her which made her giggle behind her palm, and he knew they were back on track, the one where she smiles at him, laughs with him, interested in him.

She sat up in her chair and stood. "I came here to tell you that I decided to go back to teaching."

"Oh." He thought about it for a moment. "I didn't know you wanted to quit."

"Because I didn't know myself," she admitted quietly.

Troy elegantly slipped out of the room while Annie told Jeff about her curious meeting that morning, with the over-emotional mayor and his highly-practical sister. She chose not to tell him about the way the thin man gushed in front of her. It seemed too personal.

"Good." He said, "This is good, I think. If that's what you want, I have no problem with it."

"Are you sure?" She inquired, her eyes examining his face.

"Of course, why should there be a problem?"

"Well..." Women in Thornton never worked if they had husbands who could provide for them. Work was for men, or for women of little means. Annie was odd one out because she wanted to work and didn't think it a disgrace, and so she was delighted to see that women in Greendale took up a large percentage of the professionals in town. "If I work I will have less time to cook and sew," she said at last.

"You don't have to cook and sew for me, Annie, if that's the problem. I managed quite fine before you and I'll be fine in the future. I can repair my own socks," he rolled his eyes.

"But I _want_ to do it!" She blushed and lowered her eyes when she realized her voice was quite loud. "I promised you I'd be a good wife, didn't I? I always keep my promises, Jeffrey."

He sighed and came up to her, taking her hand in his. "I'm sure of that, Annie. But you shouldn't worry. I don't have high expectations, you know I didn't marry you so that you'll repair my clothes." Her slender fingers tightened in his, and her eyes were still downcast. Why was she embarrassed? He couldn't figure her out.

"Annie, whatever you want to do is what's best for you, and that's what's best for me. Whatever you choose will be fine." Since she wouldn't look at him he placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face to his. She bit her lip and studied his face, finally nodding.

"Okay. I believe you." Her voice was lower than she'd intended. They were so close and his heat radiated all over her body. She felt her blood pumping through her veins as she looked straight into his intense gaze. She saw his face like that last night too, only now the afternoon light was illuminating him fully and she wondered how he could be so soft and so tough at the same time, how it could be possible.

She stood on her tiptoes, getting closer to his face just one inch more, but was hesitant to move any closer. He didn't respond so well the last time she had kissed him.

Fortunately she didn't have to continue to flounder, because he closed the distance between them himself. His mouth descended to hers and she gasped with relief when she finally got to taste him again. This time he tasted of salt and sand and sun, and she couldn't refrain from reaching for his shoulders, clutching him. He growled beneath her mouth, but never stopped kissing her as he grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up, and she didn't realize he was moving her until she felt the table beneath her.

"Jeffrey," she gasped, but he did not lay her down, as she expected him to do, but rather kept on kissing her sitting on the table, his hands massaging her back and shoulders and neck. His lips left her mouth and she breathed deeply, only to feel his kisses on her cheeks and down her throat. Her fingers curled into his shirt, and she shifted her neck to give him easy access to her skin. She wanted to feel his hands all over her, but they fixed themselves on her waist and stayed there. _Jeffrey, maybe this isn't the place to..._ she thought she had said. She was surprised when instead of words she sighed again, when his lips nibbled at her earlobe.

A loud clearing of the throat from the second room pulled them out of the trance. Jeffrey froze, his hands slipped from her waist and lips left her skin. He stepped away, his eyes large and alarmed, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. She was still breathing fast herself, and she wondered if her eyes were like soup saucers as well. She brought a hand to her thundering heart.

She ran a shaky hand over her hair and was relieved to find not a hair was out of place. The sheriff was still a picture of terror and now he was also slowly backing away.

"Yeah, okay. Teacher. Great," he said, and it took her a moment to realize what he was saying.

She jumped off the table (really, what was _that_ about?) and nodded. "Yes, thank you. Good. And I, uh, I'd love it if you'd distribute to the children and mothers that school will be back on Thursday." She was still struggling to restore her breath to normal speed.

"Yes, I'll do that. I'll definitely do that." He was so uncomfortable that it actually became amusing. She took a step toward him, just to see what he will do. He stopped at the door and called, his eyes still holding hers, "Troy, we're going for a walk!"

"No problem, Chief!"

"Bye Annie." He turned and disappeared before she could answer him.

"Bye," she murmured.

Jeff left the office in long strides, but Troy wasn't falling behind, especially since it meant an opportunity to tease his boss.

"Don't say a word -"

"Oooh, did you want to stay a little longer? You know, you could've told me, I would've gone and left you two alone."

"There was no need for that. We are going to inform the children that their teacher is back."

"Nice!" Troy was nearly skipping. "You know what I've noticed, Chief?"

"What?"

"That the Mrs. calls you by a very particular nickname..."

"What?" Jeff frowned and shifted his gaze to his deputy, whose smile was so broad that Jeff was imagining sticking a spoon in it. She didn't call him by any nickname, he was sure of it.

"Jeefff-rreyy..."

Jeff groaned.

"Why, I think it's sweet."

"It's not a nickname..." he grumbled. "I told her to call me that. She won't call me that forever."

"I'm sure." Troy patted his shoulder. "I'm sure. Jeffrey." He chuckled to himself.

Jeff rolled his eyes.

:::


	8. Stubborn

**AN:** just a bunch of random thoughts:

I thought about making the Dean and Franky a married couple, but felt so sorry for the both of them that I made them siblings instead.

Father Garity is the drama teacher from the show, and in my mind he's actually a time traveler, playing the role of a pastor until he could go back.

Abed is so Meta that boundaries of time are a mere joke to him.

Lastly, I just realized recently that most of my inspiration for this fic came from 'Blazing Saddles'. I'm pretty sure this movie is nowhere near historic accuracy, but all the more hilarious.

I find this chapter entertaining and hope that you will too!

As always, please leave your thoughts, I love reading them.

R&R and DFTBA

:::

Chapter Eight

: : :

 _GREENDALE'S SHERIFF FINALLY GOT HITCHED!_

 _Last week our small town has learned that our beloved sheriff, the hero of the Battle Against the Bandits, finally found a consort. This is, of course, no other than the former Miss Edison, known as the teacher who came to town this year. According to the reports we have received, the two were observed together several times before their nuptials, but if any courtship had occurred, they hid it well. There were no flowers or a ring on the finger of the new bride, yet there is no doubt: Jeff Winger has finally changed status._

 _"The two appeared in the middle of the night at my doorsteps and asked to be married without delay," reported Father Garity. "At first I thought they were intoxicated, or that there was some kind of shady business going on, but both of them were perfectly sober, upon my word."_

 _The priest also tells us that about 13 intoxicated men accompanying them, which raised his suspicions, but he checked the smell of the couple's breath and testifies in their favor._

 _"I didn't approve that the bride's father could not give her away, but they asked to continue the ceremony even so. Since I saw that before me was a couple determined to get married, I did not argue."_

 _ **What did the bride wear?**_

 _"She was wearing a black dress."_

 _ **And the bridegroom?**_

 _"The sheriff's clothes, I think. I did not dwell on it."_

 _ **What do you wish the young couple?**_

 _"I wish them that they'll remember to respect each other in their new life together, have many healthy children and visit church regularly."_

 _Our reporter also interviewed the young bride herself the day after the occasion. We caught her in the middle of a shopping spree. She seemed rather excited, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling. Evidently the marriage has been kind to her._

 _"We did it in the heat of the moment," said Mrs Winger, "we didn't exactly have time to think." When the teacher is asked why the rushed wedding, a soft smile stretches her lips. "Love," she mouths tenderly and her eyes seem to see something only she can see. Unfortunately we could not find out more details, since the newlywed was in a rush to do shopping for her new home and had no time to elaborate. We wish her all the best._

 _We almost failed to catch the groom for a brief chat, but he was kind enough to give a statement to the newspaper. "Abed, you know I don't care about your newspaper nonsense," he said yesterday, when he was caught coming out of his house after saying goodbye to his new lady. To our question, how's the wife doing, answered, "You can ask her yourself, if you want to know so much." The editorial staff thinks his distraction is understandable since the new Mrs. Winger is a known beauty and turned many heads in town, before finally seizing the most coveted bachelor in town._

 _In the two days since the wedding the newlyweds were seen together in public several times, and the prevailing opinion is that they generate sparks every time they look at each other. The newspaper predicts that little Wingers will arrive soon enough._

 _Bachelorettes of Greendale, this time you should give up for real, as it seems that the former Miss Edison has a firm grasp over our Sheriff's heart, and she does not intend to let him go._

: : :

"Jeffrey, could you land me a hand over here for one minute?"

Jeff lifted his head from the paper, shutting his eyes in the face of the oncoming headache. "What?" he asked. "Annie, have you seen the newspaper?"

"I haven't, what's in it?" Annie called from the kitchen. She was standing on the chair in front of the kitchen cabinets, while Jeff was sitting in a couch in the entryway, where he was since he got inside. Abed had waited for him in front of his house to give him the newspaper personally, and only smiled mysteriously when Jeff asked what's in it. He read the headline and entered distractedly, and eventually found himself seated in his couch, staring at the pages. _What the hell, Abed?_

"He wrote a piece about us…"

"About us?" she called, preoccupied, but decided to give up on the loud conversation, instead walking to the other room to see what it was. He shoved the paper her way, as if disgusted with it. "Here, this one, read."

She took it from his hand and read the headline. "Greendale's Sheriff finally got hitched…" she murmured. Her eyes skimmed over the words and her forehead creased when she tried to find the source to her husband's distaste.

"The priest thought we were drunk!" she raised her eyes to Jeff.

"Yes, that's not the worst part," he groaned, rubbing his face. She kept on reading. "What, 'visit church regularly'? Is that what's bothering you?"

"Keep reading."

She read silently and he saw the exact moment that her cheeks flushed. "I don't think I looked like that when I talked to Mr. Nadir…" she murmured. "Did I seem lovesick? I don't recall being…"

"That's Abed for you," he cut in. "That's what he's like. He exaggerates, gives the truth some decorations to make it appear more interesting". She read some more. "And did you see what he wrote you said?" Jeff added.

"What?"

"'In the heat of the moment'…" Jeff quoted.

Annie shrugged. "I don't remember specifically, but I am pretty sure that this is something I told him. He wouldn't write something I hadn't said, would he?"

Jeff sighed and sank further down the couch. "No, he's no liar. But he doesn't shy away from taking things out of context."

Annie went on reading the rest in silence, and handed the newspaper once she was done. "All in all, it's not that bad," she voiced her opinion.

He straightened. "Not bad? Maybe you should read it again."

She rejected the paper that was offered to her again and crossed her arms, the cloth in her hand squished between her arms. Irritation pulled at her lips. "I've read it, Jeffrey. And I don't see why it bothers you."

"Because!" he stared at her and realized she really didn't have a clue. He waved about. "He made us look like, like… like we're so in love that you can't even talk to us…"

"What?"

"You come out as if you can't gather enough thoughts to answer him properly, and apparently I am constantly distracted. As if every bit of brain has evaporated from our heads!" his hands surrounded his head to imitate the brain evaporating through the ears.

"I don't think you're right, Jeffrey…" she said slowly. "It's true, he describes me somewhat spacey, but that's what we wanted, didn't we? We wanted people to believe we're in love. And this piece helps to establish this notion."

He gawked at her for a hot minute, and finally sighed. "I don't know…"

"Besides, we _did_ get caught in public a few times, so it's not like he reported falsities…" the day before she went to bring the sheriff his lunch and they got _carried away_ again. They were caught by an innocent Greendalian who came to ask for the sheriff's help. They were both so very red, and Annie whispered to him before slipping out of there, "perhaps I should avoid coming here for a while," to which he agreed; kisses at the sheriff's office weren't exactly private. And the day when Abed "interviewed" Jeff for his newspaper, Jeff was in fact thoroughly kissing Annie at their doorstep, just a few minutes prior. He found it difficult to separate with her that morning, so he kept on kissing her even while he was backing toward the door, dragging her along. He would have kept on kissing her there if it weren't for Abed's intrusion, and if he was being honest with himself, he brought it on himself. But she looked so sexy in her white nightgown and messy hair from sleep, and body warm from the bed…

He blinked a few times as he came back to the present.

"I think Abed did us a favor," she added.

"You what?"

She nodded. "Yes, after all most people have no interest to believe me, they still think I can't be trusted, that I'm manipulative at best, and an easy woman at worst. If Abed writes that we married for love in his newspaper, then you can trust him, can't you? He's the journalist. And a man of the town. And he's your friend."

Jeff held up a finger. "Aha! But Abed is not my friend -"

"He isn't?" She seemed genuinely surprised.

"No, I mean, he's a good fellow, but I'm not really a 'friends' kind of man..."

Her eyes pierced through him. "Strange, that's not my impression from my acquaintance with you, Jeffrey..."

"What?" He straightened, decided it wasn't good enough in this discussion, and stood before her, stretched to his entire height. When he looked down at her from his stature he immediately felt more right. "I'm a lone wolf, that's me. Jeff Winger. Jeff against the world. One against many."

She continued to stare at him for a long while until he thought she wasn't going to talk at all. But finally she spoke, her forehead still wrinkled as if she was trying to solve him like one of her calculus problems. "Troy is your friend; he is still upset that he wasn't at our wedding. And Duncan from the bank is your pal. And I'm pretty sure that Pierce believes you're good friends. And most of the men in town will approach you within two seconds if they needed help." He wondered where she got all of this information, after all they had been married only a couple of days. But he recalled that she lived in town some time before they were married, and she wasn't the oblivious kind.

"Yeah, okay, but..." he began, but had no idea what he could say.

"I understand you still think you're a lone wolf, but you're not. You married me. It kind of contradicts the definition of a lone wolf if you have a wife."

She turned on her heels and stomped into the kitchen. He followed her for lack of choice, since this discussion couldn't end like this. He won't have it. She can't win _all_ of their arguments.

"Annie, for many years I've been alone..." she had clambered on a chair and was standing on the counter, wiping shelves and dishes with the cloth in her hand. Her movements were jagged and sharp, and he wondered if she might be chafing the dishes.

"...Before you came to Greendale."

"Exactly, and these were the majority of my years. 30 years to be exact."

"Yes?" She was willing to at least give him the chance to prove his point.

"That is most of my life. Three-quarters of living."

"It adds up."

"So I'm pretty sure I would know if I'm a lone wolf or not..."

She turned to him again, ceasing the aggressive rubbing. "But you're not! Don't you see? You have friends here. Maybe you used to be a lone wolf in the past, but this is no longer true. When I came here, I was very lonely, but you were not! You were a part of the town, an important part, and you still are. You are no longer a lone wolf, Jeff, so don't lie to yourself." She turned away yet again and this time he was pretty sure she was mad at him. Only he wasn't sure why.

He watched as she finished wiping the plates that stood on the shelves in front of her, and stretched on tiptoes to reach the higher shelves, but without great success. She grunted with effort as she tried to reach higher, and suddenly he remembered something.

"You wanted me to help you with something?" He asked, amazed he could remember a sentence she said while he was distracted. He was even a little impressed with himself.

She sighed and wiped her brow. And turned to him again. She avoided his eyes when she pointed her thumb at the highest shelves. "Yes, I want to clean up these pots but they are too high, even when I'm standing on the counter." A faint blush covered her cheeks. "I'd appreciate it if you would be so kind to bring them down for me, and return them when I'm finished cleaning them."

When he approached her he heard her grumble under her breath, "I don't understand how come you don't even cook in here, but still bother stocking pots so high."

He moved the chair out of the way, but after raising his head he realized she would have to come down first. He motioned her with his head to come down and she held out her hands. In an almost natural motion he grabbed her around the waist, allowed her to lay her palms on his shoulders and lifted her from the counter, subsequently setting her gingerly down on the floor. She lifted her face to his, biting her lip, and he realized he was enclosing her with his body against the counter. He was standing too close to the counter to leave her enough space to stand comfortably, and here laid his mistake. But backing away from her was quickly becoming the hardest part.

"Jeffrey..." she murmured his name, and in the last few days he discovered how much he longed to hear her say his name in that breathless way, full of wonder and promise. _Just a little taste_... He promised himself when he lowered his head and closed his eyes, kissing her softly. A light touch of his mouth to hers, nothing more. And then another. And then another...

And so he found himself in the midst of an all-out making out with his wife, pinning her to the counter and kissing her with everything he had. He didn't know how she did it. He couldn't remember that he ever made out with a woman wearing an apron, her hair coming out here and there of her meticulous hairdo after some domestic work, but hell, Annie made it look like the sexiest thing since the corset was invented. And yes, he thought without shame, the fact she was dressed in a simple frock was actually a perk, seeing as petticoats were not involved and he could fondle her backside without needless barriers.

"Jeff, don't..." She exhaled as he began to lap at the soft skin under her ear. "I'm still mad at you..." He paused for a moment, his breath warm on her skin.

"Oh, right, why are you mad at me exactly?" He wasn't about to raise his head from the curve of her neck. The scent there was too good.

"I..." she groaned, not with passion but with frustration. "Because you're so blind. And stubborn."

"I am certainly stubborn," he agreed, and went on to kiss her neck, inch by inch. When it produced from her the better kind of a sigh, he smiled to himself.

"Okay, I forgive you..." she breathed, and finally some sense infiltrated his brain. He stopped his journeys over his wife's skin and took a deep breath, before walking away. Her fingers slipped from his hair, and that was such a shame.

"Um, yes." He looked away from her. "I'll take down the pots for you." He couldn't look at her when she was like this, all misty eyed, chest rising and falling rapidly. She was too tempting and he had to make good use of every moment his mind still functioned. He climbed quickly on the counter and lowered the requested pots, putting them on the table for her.

"Is that all?" He asked her. She was leaning against the counter, her left hand on the base of her neck, her face turned away from him. "Ah, yes," she replied. "Just come back to return the pots when I've finished with them."

"No problem."

She looked only when he left the room with his back to her, and it took her several minutes to bring herself to continue the cleanup.

:::

Beside the bed Annie arranged carefully the new dress the seamstress had given her that day. This was the first colorful dress she had since the war, and since the next day she was going back to teaching, Annie thought it would be only fitting to wear a new dress for the occasion. The dress was the color of pine tops, with a light green damask pattern, and the broad skirt was divided into six equal parts. The puffed sleeves reached her elbows, and had some white lace peeking at the edges. Annie ran her hand over the rich fabric and smiled softly to dress, as if the dress itself was an welcoming embrace.

Jeff wanted to comment something sarcastic about her flirting with the dress, but refrained when he saw her serious expression. He sat on the edge of the bed, massaging his hair with honey oil, watching her. He watched her as she combed her long hair and braided it loosely, wearing her nightgown, and now as she carefully set her new dress. He thought he'd get used already to seeing her like this. But no, each time he was caught off guard. On the one hand she was softer, as if at night she had a halo that made her look less real, as if she was just a dream. On the other hand, she looked so young when her face was bare of makeup and her loose dress hiding her curves, and he recalled how much younger than him she was.

He preferred not to dwell on it too much.

"I wanted to talk to you about what I should tell people," she said, her back still to him.

"People?"

"The children too, actually." She turned. "We need a cover story. Explain why and how we came to be married." She came to sit beside him on the bed. "I've managed to avoid giving detailed answers so far, but just barely. People want to know how it happened. How we decided to get married. And we surly can't tell them the truth."

He studied her profile, leaning back on his arms. "Is it that important?"

"Well, yes." She shrugged. "You saw today what Abed wrote. 'No courtship was observed'. People are wondering. If we are so in love, why did we hide it? Why hasn't anyone seen you courting me? Worse still, Nicole even heard you telling me you're not looking for a wife. It's quite contradictory to our claim. "

He waved his hand. "It's not that complicated, I simply changed my mind right after that."

"But I told Troy that you courted me since that day..."

"It still works out. Besides he can't expect you to remember exactly."

"And why did we hide it?"

"Let's say," He gave her a half smile, "that our courtship was not exactly conventional."

Annie slapped his thigh. "We can't say that!"

Jeff laughed. "Calm down, I'm joking. Besides, I've told everyone that there wasn't any inappropriate touching before the wedding, so I certainly can't change versions now."

"Really?" She turned her big blues on him, and he forgot to breathe for a second. "That's what you told people?..." Her voice was tiny and surprised, and he asked himself how she managed to conceal this vulnerability so well.

"Sure," he dismissed her surprise. "At first there were some who assumed that you..." he skipped the word almost without missing a beat, "and I rejected it altogether as soon as anyone dared to say anything like that." He preferred not to tell her that most people were still doubtful. But he had no reason to lie to them about such a thing. Certainly, if she was his before the wedding, he would have run to tell everyone, wouldn't he?

No. He wasn't that kind of man. He never told anyone about his conquests.

(Usually, it seemed, people knew about it on their own, without him lifting a finger to tell)

"I..." She exhaled at length, wringing her fingers. "I appreciate you defending my honor."

"Anytime." He wanted her to look at him with a cheeky smile, wanted her to stop being so small and helpless. But he knew it wasn't the real Annie, but rather the result of what they did to her. With each passing day he learned to grasp the extent of the damage they had dealt her, how they stomped on her confidence, how they trampled her honor. "Your honor is my honor, you know." He added.

She tossed his way a small smile, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, then when did you start wooing me?" She asked.

"Err..." He scratched the back of his neck. "After I told you I wasn't looking for a wife, um, as we said."

"What's changed your mind?"

"You, I suppose. As usual." She flashed a fast grin.

"How did I change your mind?" She sat up a little.

"Um..." He wasn't good at this. Story-telling was Abed's specialty. "I'd say you kissed me, but I already told everyone that it never happened, so we can't say that..."

"Maybe... I seduced you.. without... touching you?" She suggested.

Jeff snorted and ran a hand through his hair. "God knows you're capable of that!"

She chuckled but shook her head. "Um, I didn't mean it like that, Jeffrey." She pondered for a bit. "Maybe I told you what I think about marriage, that in my opinion it is based on mutual assistance, that the woman should support her husband, and I made you see that marriage is not so bad. That it might be something you actually want."

He stared at her. "I'm not going to say no such sentimental crap." He never talks to people about his feelings, and he wasn't going to start now. It would obliterate his reputation.

"You don't have to. You can say something like, 'Annie made me see what I was missing', and I would tell people my version in greater detail."

"What I was missing?" The whole thing was getting comical quite fast. She gave him her secretive smile and he melted somewhat. Without thinking, he reached for her face to move a lock from her cheek behind her ear, and his thumb lingered on her temple, tracing imperfect circles. She didn't move, only closed her eyes slightly like a cat enjoying caresses, and hell, this minor gesture alone made him want to pull her under him and ravage her.

She licked her lips and opened her eyes. "And how did you court me?" thus returning to the issue at hand. "Abed already mentioned there were no flowers, so not that. But other things..."

"Uh..." He dropped his hand from her face. "Small gifts...? no. Gifts people will want to see, and we don't have anything to show."

"Believe it or not, but I don't need gifts to be convinced to marry." She spread her hands, as if to say 'look where we are'.

"Annie, we're not exactly an example of normal marriage..." he said, thinking about why she agreed to marry him.

"I'm not talking about us, I'm talking about Rich." Perhaps she meant 'look where I am'.

"Oh."

"When Rich was courting me he mostly talked to me, listen to me... complimented me. When I went to see him in church, he dedicated his lecture to me. The topic of it was 'Woman of Valor' from the Book of Proverbs." Her eyes clouded with memories. "He was... wonderful. He made me feel important, that there was value to what I think. I've never felt like this before."

Jeff was not sure he wanted to hear about it. He said loudly, "Well, I think I know how to compliment a woman. While I never said I was a poet, I do have some knowledge in the area of women..." Annie returned from the fog of memories and gave him a challenging look. "Oh, yeah? Please, do give me an example of a compliment you'd give me if we were courting."

 _Challenge accepted_. Jeff pictured for a moment the days he used to gaze at her from afar, when he would daydream about her body and her voice and her lips. He didn't have to think much. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate." He turned to her with a triumphant grin.

"Sonnet Number Eighteen, I'm impressed." Annie smirked.

Damnation, of course she knew it. "Hang on, I'm just warming up," he rapidly excused. The truth was that it was a poem he used many times as a young man wooing women; for years now he hasn't recited it. But he did think it suited Annie like a glove...

"Your eyes are sapphires, your lips are cherries, my love..." A brief look to her clarified that she was listening to him intently, trying to identify the source of the current poem. But she won't find it, as it was based on his private thoughts. "If you but let me lay my head in the bosom of your supple body, I will show you how much beauty lies between us..." He was impressed with himself. Maybe he should start writing poetry too. "And if you think I'm interested in your body alone, you shan't; because your mind is immeasurably more brilliant than any another woman I've known." He ruined the effect when he sniggered, "and I've known many."

"Jeffrey!" She slapped his shoulder. "Flatter a woman and then remind her of all of her predecessors, not an advisable move!" She told him, but inside her objection there was amusement too.

He raised his hands. "Hey, I'm going with complete honesty. If I have to bestow compliments, at least let them be authentic." He waggled his eyebrows at her, and Annie giggled, burying her face in her hands.

"Ugh, Jeffrey, what will become of you!" Then she straightened up. "But it _was_ authentic right now, wasn't it? You made it all up on the spot." She bit her lip. "About me."

"About you," he confirmed with a nod. And watched the blush spread from her neck down her chest and up her ears. He brought this about... with a simple word... interesting.

"That's... nice," she said to herself, staring. Then she jumped. "Okay, so it was a lightweight courting and no gifts. But we still haven't decided why we hid it."

Jeff shrugged. "Maybe I didn't want people to think I'm getting soft."

(The acclaimed Sheriff Winger, wooing a woman, telling her that her eyes shine like sapphires and doesn't even expect a kiss in return? No, Jeff the bachelor would never admit to it.)

"And I didn't want people to think I was having an affair with you."

(Miss Annie Edison, letting the infamous sheriff tell her sweet words and stare at her with those intense eyes of his, and expect people to believe she still retains her chastity? No, there was no chance.)

They shared a long look of understanding.

"And the two of us were proven wrong in the end." Jeff murmured.

"So we agreed not to tell anyone about us?" She asked.

"What?" He didn't follow her line of thinking.

"When we courted, we both agreed not to tell others, each for his or her own reasons."

"Oh." He nodded. "Yes."

"When did you tell me you loved me?"

Jeff blew out a long breath, which dragged on so much that she got up from the bed and crawled under the covers. He echoed, laid down and pulled her to his side

"Maybe just before the wedding..." he suggested. "I told you that I loved you and then proposed you marriage. I can imagine that if I told you something like that, if I was truly in love, I would want to get married as soon as possible..."

Annie snuggled closer to him, her back against his chest. The night before she settled like that in front of his body, and he thought it was pretty convenient, considering their size difference. Her small body fitted in the space left by his longer one, even when they were slightly bent. And he could not ignore the fact that this position gave him easy access to extensive parts of her body. He buried his face in her hair and breathed her. That was an extra bonus.

"Agreed." She said, her voice somewhat muffled. "And I told you that I loved you back and agreed to marry you." His arm was lying loose across her waist and she lifted his hand to her mouth, kissing the knuckles one at a time. "Then we went to get married straight away because we both didn't want to wait any longer..." Her lips were soft and warm, and their light flutter over his hand caused him to shut his eyes, swallow his desire. "I can believe that," he whispered in her ear, his voice low and husky. She shuddered.

"Are you cold?" He was surprised. He was practically covering her with his body, and the blanket covered them both. She wasn't supposed to tremble.

Her head fell back against his chest with a pat, her eyes squeezed shut. _Be rational, you promised_. "Yes," she lied. "My feet are a little cold." At least that wasn't a lie; her feet always took longer to warm up. He rubbed his foot against hers, trying to put some heat into them, and she bit the inside of her cheek. "Thank you," she whispered. "This is much better." She buried her fiery face in the pillow and wished for quick sleep.

"Good night." He kissed the nearest corner of her jaw, and forced his body to loosen up, limb by limb. He was only partially successful, but it didn't matter: he would be a gentleman. He must not slip. "Good luck tomorrow," he said, recalling her return to school.

For a moment he thought she was going to say something, but she just sighed and hid her face in the pillow.

:::

"Jeffrey..." Annie whispered in a trying-not-to-disturb-but-trying-to-wake-at-the-same-time voice.

Jeff rolled over and opened an eye. Barely.

Annie stood before him, nervously wringing her hands, in her green dress, her hair spills in tight curls around her face. She put some effort this morning, in hope that if she liked how she looked it would be enough. But her nerves wouldn't let her be.

"I'm really, really sorry," she whispered. "But I don't think... I can't seem to... will you walk me to class?"

Jeff closed his eyes and rolled over to the other side.

Annie refused to despair and continued to tell him, her pace accelerating as she went, "I know you'd rather go back to sleep, and I really didn't mean to wake you, but it's still dark outside and it's been a long time since I walked around town at this hour of day..."

He did not even react.

Nevertheless he sat up, wiped the sleep from his face with both hands, and went to get dressed.

He didn't complain, only got dressed in silence. Didn't even comb his hair. He reached for her arm as they left the house, and when she linked her arm in his, she thought to herself that she liked the quiet man of the early morning hours. He was so different from the man with a tongue of honey she thought she knew; at first she didn't believe it was the same person. The previous days she tried to talk to him, but he only answered with grunts, so she learned there was no point talking to him in the morning. So she appreciated even more the fact that he got up to walk her to school.

They arrived to class. Before they had parted he silently kissed her forehead, and she waved him goodbye.

The class didn't stay empty for long. The youngsters entered, to her relief, as if nothing had changed. But everything has changed. Everything except for her feeling which was identical to her first day; she worried to death she won't succeed, that she might never be a good teacher again.

Two boys nodded to Annie and went to sit in their seats, following her silent gesture. Behind them came Gilly, one of the younger girls, dressed in blue, both her pale plaits decorated with bows.

The girl went up to her and whispered, "Miss?..." Annie got down on her knee to hear the child better. "Yes, Gilly?"

"I have a secret to tell you..." Annie smiled encouragingly. "Say it into my ear," She turned her head and let the girl whisper, "You're really pretty, Miss Edison!" Annie smiled.

"Thank you, Gilly! You're very cute yourself!" The girl nodded, but whispered before going to her seat, "Yes, but not as you."

"Everybody's here?" Annie asked as she rose and squinted to see if all the seats were occupied.

The children looked around them, some crying "Yes!" in response. She recognized one empty chair close to her, which was Jordan's chair. She assumed he still wasn't feeling well enough to come to school.

"Very Good." Annie nodded, taking a deep breath. "Good morning, class!"

"Good morning, Miss Edison!" The children shouted in unison, making her heart skip a beat.

She studied them, one by one, their faces open and gazing at her curiously, and she wondered if they forgot everything that happened, whether they thought she was their beloved teacher again, or were they just testing her, before breaking into a new riot. She tried to imagine their mothers (who she had intentionally avoided outside the classroom) dressing the children and telling them how to behave on the first day. Did they tell them to be good? Would they still say that Miss Edison is an easy woman? Speaking of which, she should take care of the matter of her name once and for all.

"Very nice, but children, you must have heard that I got married this week. My name is not Miss Edison anymore -"

"So what's your name?" that was George, the most lively boy in class.

"Good question, George." Annie wasn't deterred. "Since I married Mr. Winger -" there were cries of, "The sheriff!" and "Hey, I know Mr. Winger!" which she silenced with a stern look. And continued, "- you should call me Mrs. Winger."

"Ahh..." Some of the children already knew that, according to the level of nodding around class.

"So let's try this again, all right kids? I'll say 'Good morning, class', and you will answer, 'Good morning, Ms. Winger'." Some children were chanting the line with her.

Her jaw tightened. They were no longer the polite gang that listened quietly to her every word and completed every instruction, but at least they listened to her. She can do it. She bobbed her head, keeping a critical eye to make sure all of the students were watching her.

"Good morning, class!"

"Good morning, Mrs. Winger!" and "Good Morning, Miss Edison!" came simultaneous and intermingled. Annie shook her head. "Mrs. Winger, remember?"

"Yes!"

"Good morning, class!"

"Good morning, Mrs. Winger!" This time there was only a voice or two that got it wrong, and that was good enough for her.

"Very good. If everyone understands, let's open with a history lesson."

:::

The school day was over and the children said their goodbyes, prancing merrily outside. When the day had passed without any particular disturbances, she considered it a success. True, in the last lesson the children didn't want to listen anymore and only wanted her to tell them about the wedding, her husband, and the sheriff's job (if she's his wife she must know what he's doing, and it was impossible to argue with that logic, wasn't it?). Since it was the last lesson and they've learned much more than what they learned the last two weeks, she succumbed and told them everything they wanted to know. And it wasn't so bad.

In retrospect, she told herself she worried for nothing. The children truly fancied her, and they also liked to learn (not everyone liked to learn everything, but what they did was enough to let her teach them the rest). And if the mothers agreed that she will continue to teach, why would they tell the kids that she's a bad woman? It didn't make sense. It was all in her head.

Strengthened with the idea that the mothers indeed agreed that she will return, she accompanied the children outside like she used to do (before everything got destroyed). She was more willing now to meet the mothers who came to collect their children. Most of them gave her strange looks, but still nodded politely when she greeted them. And it was already better. She told Elijah to deliver her regards to his mother and a 'feel better' to Jordan, who was still recovering at home.

"Mom, Mom, you know that Miss Edison changed her name?" Little Gili was pulling at her mother's hand, Vicky. Annie stood nearby.

"Yes, I know, Gilly." Vicky replied impatiently, looked up and realized she was standing right in front of the teacher. Annie nodded. "Hello, Mrs. Boller."

The latter cleared her throat. "Oh, hello. Miss... Winger."

"It's Mrs. Winger, Mom! Mrs. Winger!" the girl piped up.

"I know, Gilly!" Vicky shushed her daughter. She turned to Annie and told her hesitantly, "Uh, I hope Gilly behaved herself today."

"Yes, she's very sweet, never a problem." Annie replied, trying to be as gracious as possible.

"Okay, so... goodbye."

"Goodbye," Annie replied. "I guess I'll see you at the women's gathering?"

Vicky halted on her spot. "You, you are coming to the women's gathering?"

Annie shrugged. "Shirley told me I was expected to come, so... yeah."

Vicky studied her and seemed to reach a conclusion. "Well, see you there." She nodded to Annie, and was it the ghost of a smile? No, it must have been just out of courtesy.

"See you."

Mrs. Winger remained by herself outside the classroom for a long moment, before going inside to arrange her things and lock.

:::


	9. Frustrated

Chapter nine

The group of women sat in deep silence, except for the random shuffle and the sounds of the town outside. Annie was sitting on a chair among them in growing discomfiture, until she couldn't take it any longer and leaned toward Shirley, who sat next to her. "Let's make an excuse and leave, they clearly don't want me here."

"No! Stand your ground, woman!" Shirley managed to whisper in a way that no one had heard her, but still was sharply reproachful. Annie sighed.

"Thank you to everyone who came today," Sheila said loudly, looking directly at Annie. Sheila was apparently the leader of the women's gathering. She had twins who studied in Annie's class. "And welcome to Miss..is Win-Winger." _Wow, she hardly stammered at all_ , Annie thought cynically. "The new member in our group."

There were murmurs from the other women; the general mood was "Welcome," to Annie's relief. The only one who sat with her arms folded, her lips pierced together, was Nicole, but Annie wasn't about to complain about one woman.

"Why don't we start with the subject at hand?" Sheila said. "We've wasted enough time, umm..." _staring at me_ , Annie completed. Sheila continued: "The mayor is planning a festival for the beginning of the summer, and of course I have offered our help... Who can be responsible for the food?"

Annie listened as Sheila handed out assignments. It seems that the women were used to such meetings, and weren't surprised. Annie was happy to sit quietly and blend in with the background; it was better than the treatment she had received so far, so she was pleased with her lot.

Sheila said, "Ladies, I'll need someone to replace me by supervising the tasks."

"Why?" asked Vicky. "What happened?"

"My sister comes to the city with her three children, and I'll be busy helping," Sheila said. "Who is free to replace me?"

Shirley grabbed Annie's hand and lifted it. "Annie can do it," she called. "She has great organization skills."

"Shirley!" Annie hissed, but the stares she got made her regret it immediately. "I mean… I'd love to take your place, Sheila. I want to help."

Sheila studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "Very well. Mrs. Winger will take my place. Report to me about your progress, so I'll know you're doing your job right." Annie nodded; it made sense. If she were Sheila, she would have made the same decision.

"Alright, we'll meet again next time," Sheila concluded and stood up. "Good day everyone."

Annie began to stand but Shirley laid a hand on her shoulder. "Not yet," she whispered.

"What? Why?" Annie whispered back.

Shirley nodded at the women around them, none of whom moved. Instead, they started chattering without any forewarning. "I cooked peas for my husband yesterday," one of them said. "He never noticed, until I told him that his pie had peas, and even though he had licked the plate, he was still angry with me."

Another woman clucked. "Men! You can never please them!"

"That's true," said a third. "Every day I try a new recipe, but until I burn the food he will not touch it." Annie giggled quietly. Men! Shirley chimed in: "My husband loves almost everything I make, but if I so much as utter 'corn' he won't speak to me for a week." It was strange to hear Shirley talk about her husband, since the man was hardly home, but Annie assumed it was true when he was around.

"What about you, Annie?"

Annie turned to Vicky. "What?" She asked hesitantly.

"What food your husband won't eat?"

"Arr..." She hesitated. Her husband. Jeffrey. Yes. They had been married for some time, but it was still... strange. "Right now he's eating everything," she said slowly. "I still haven't found something he doesn't like, but I think he can't afford to be choosy, since he has such a large body that if he doesn't eat whatever he's offered, he'll faint..."

"It's temporary," said a woman sitting next to her. "It's only a matter of time, believe me. My husband was like that at the beginning, but after a year - bang! 'Don't ever make me mushrooms, dear, not even for our children.' He really hates it. Can't even bear the smell."

Annie chuckled. "I'll keep you posted when it happens," she said with a shrug.

The ladies moved on to talk about their husbands, their health, food and children and other things, Annie didn't listen to all of it. But she sat between them, slightly flushed, and shared a grateful look with Shirley.

As she left the gathering, she heard throat-clearing behind her back. Shirley kept walking out as Annie turned to see Nicole in front of her, shuffling her feet. "Miss... Annie," she said. "I... apologize."

"Oh," Annie raised her eyebrows. She didn't expect an apology at all, didn't even hope for one. "I mean, yes, okay."

She was going to leave but Nicole grabbed her hand. "Look," she said. Annie folded her fingers in instinctive resistance, but the woman didn't let go. "I had good reasons to suspect you, hadn't I? You were a widow. You can't trust a widow."

"Because my husband died?" Annie wrinkle her nose. "I don't see why it's my fault, or how it makes me suspicious."

"You're different, I see it now," Nicole said. "And I'm sorry."

"Alright, I forgive you," Annie said, trying to pull her hand away. She didn't really want to forgive such an apology, but Nicole's mind-set made her increasingly uneasy.

"No, you have to understand..." Nicole said, but stopped, looking at Annie's palm in her hands. Then she fumble with Annie's knuckles. "Where's your wedding ring?"

"What?" Annie finally pulled her ringless hand free, blushing furiously. "I don't have one."

"You didn't… forget it at home, perchance?" Nicole inquired.

"No!" Annie folded her hands under her chest, partly from anger, partly to hide her naked hand. "Jeffrey didn't buy me a ring. And it's fine, I don't need a ring to prove we're married."

Nicole glared at her. Annie imagined her thoughts. _I do need a ring to prove you're married_. Annie murmured, "We got married in such a hurry, I didn't even think about a ring. I just… wanted to be married to him."

"Ahha," Nicole said, and Annie's stomach dropped. Nicole's apology was erased in the span of one missing ring. The woman went right back to suspecting Annie's intentions.

"Annie?" Shirley returned to stand beside her. "What's the matter?"

"Have you noticed that Miss _Winger_ doesn't have a ring?" Nicole asked virulently.

Shirley tried to see Annie's hands, but they were firmly tucked under her armpits. "In truth, I haven't. There's no law that says a married woman must wear a ring," Shirley said to Nicole, getting into protective mode. "The vows are what matters."

"Yes..." Nicole said slowly, narrowing her eyes. "The vows."

"Let's go," Annie hissed and grabbed Shirley's arm. "I have a lot of responsibilities now, I want to start as soon as possible."

Shirley let her drag her out. "This woman annoys me to no end," she said to Annie.

"I can't say I care for her myself."

:::

"See, I told you everything would work out just fine," Jeff said that evening, as he took off his boots and kicked them to the other end of the room. "Yes..." Annie murmured, distracted. "Everything worked out."

He changed into his sleeping clothes and turned to her. She was dressed again in her white nightshirt, the one he preferred, the one which didn't cling to her body, the one which separated their bodies when he embraced her at night. He learned to rely on this nightshirt, to keep him in check when his hands had ideas of their own. Annie herself did nothing to stop him when he kissed her; someone had to do something. Even if that someone was an inanimate object of linen.

She went under the covers and waited until he joined her to cuddle up with him. And although he was a man who knew many women – in the biblical sense – it was a new experience. As a rule, he detested cuddling. Cuddling was reserved for people who liked each other, and most of the women who he shared their bed with became unbearable before long. But with Annie it was different because... well, because he liked her. And she seemed to like him for one reason or another.

She laid her head on his shoulder and hugged his middle, and he sighed. _Why couldn't I marry a woman who doesn't like me at all_ , he asked God, if there was any deity listening to him _. Or at least one that wasn't so sexy, even when she wears the largest nightshirt in history_. Seriously, this nightshirt could have served as a blanket in itself. You could hide the Grand Canyon under that nightshirt.

"Jeff?"

"Hmm?"

"Is there any food you don't like?"

"What?" He put his eyebrows together, looking up at the ceiling. "Where did this come from?"

"The women at the gathering today talked about their husbands, about what they don't like to eat, and I was thinking that I don't know what you like... or don't like."

"Don't hold your breath, darling," he said. "I rather like everything, but mostly Scotch."

"I'm not talking about spirit!"

"Why not? My favorite food is spirit."

She slapped his shoulder, then did something that made him hold his breath; she pulled herself up his body until she leaned over him, her face leveled with his. He looked at her with round eyes and cursed the immediate reaction of his body to her. At the moment she didn't seem to notice.

"Jeffrey Winger," she said. "Alcohol is not food, and if you keep thinking that way, I don't think I can ever talk to you again. Alcohol makes men behave like fools!"

"I'm... sorry, little one," he said, surprised by the pain in her eyes. "I didn't know it was so important to you!"

"Yes, well!" She huffed. "Remember, drunken men are the reason we got married..."

Not exactly, he almost said, but kept his mouth shut. He remembered the incident that had brought her to the sheriff's office, weeping and frightened. Her panic when the crowd of drunks gathered to watch their wedding. "I see," he said, feeling like a complete idiot. "I apologize."

She sighed, accepting his apology, but didn't move. He liked looking at her like that, leaning over him, candlelight flickering across her delicate features. He reached out to stroke her cheek and thought, _she has beautiful cheeks_.

 _Really? Who thinks cheeks are beautiful?!_

 _You, apparently. This woman turned your brain into mush._

He tried to remember what they were talking about before he began to ponder the beauty of her cheeks, and after a few seconds succeeded. "I like meat," he told her. "Beef, mostly."

"Thank you," she smiled at him softly, with gratitude that was certainly greater than he deserved. She leaned down and put her lips on his, and despite his best wishes, he was unable to resist her, and unable to stop the reaction of his body this time. He pulled her to lay over him completely, and his hands found her rear despite the miles of nightshirt. Her tongue made its way into his mouth and her hand cupped his jaw gently. He moaned, forcing his hands to leave her backside and wander up her back and shoulders. It wasn't better, it turned out. She was perfectly nude under this nightshirt, no corset, and his brain stopped working.

After what seemed like an eternity, she raised her head from his, panting. She was leaning on her palms on either side of his head, eyes shut. "We should go to sleep, shouldn't we?" She murmured.

He swallowed. "Yes, little one." He almost didn't sound entirely as if he had run out of all the air in the world. Almost.

She slid off him and went back to a safer place, beside him, but her arm was still hugging his middle and her head returned to her favorite place, on his shoulder.

 _I'm gonna die. I'll surely die. No man could bear such sexual frustration,_ he thought.

And kept thinking that thought night after night over the next week.

For the time being, he lived.

:::

Shirley walked through the market, the basket of goods firmly in her hand, when she saw Jeff leave the sheriff's office. She waved at him, and he changed course in order to meet her. "Ma'am," he pushed his hat up with one finger when he came up to her near a stall with iron appliances.

"Jeff," she said. "So good to see you.."

"I know," he smiled. "Always a pleasure."

Shirley snickered and shook her head. "It's a good thing I found you. Have you bought a ring for Annie yet?"

"No," he said. "Why would I buy her...?"

"What?" Shirley raised her voice, then took him aside, away from the market stalls. "You were supposed to buy her a ring!"

"Sorry." He shrugged. "I didn't know."

"Didn't she tell you?" Shirley huffed.

"Annie?"

"Yes! She doesn't have a wedding ring. Nicole homed in on this fact in no time, and now she uses it to spread rumors that the wedding wasn't real or that Annie doesn't want people to think she got married or some other stupid idea, and you already know where this road leads."

"I really don't like that woman," Jeff mused. "What's her problem?"

"Annie, apparently," Shirley replied. "And you too. If you don't want me to set your backside on fire, run and buy her a ring. I'm coming from the jeweler now, I was going to tell you he has some new rings, one of which would probably fit Annie. "

"I... okay, yes, I can do that."

"Good," Shirley nodded. "Have a cookie." She took one out of her basket. "See you at the festival."

"Wait!" Jeff called. "Wait, I need your help!"

"In what?"

"How will I know which ring to buy her?"

Shirley sighed. "I have better things to do, but I'll come with you. You're awfully lucky to have me." She shrugged. "And also that I enjoy looking at jewelry."

:::

"You know, Jeffrey," Annie said after he detached himself from her kiss, got off her and rolled on the bed all the way down to the floor. And stayed there. "You're being ridiculous."

"I don't see how I'm the ridiculous one," he said from the floor.

She came to the edge of the bed and saw him lying on his back, his hair disheveled from her fingers, his lips red from her kiss, and... Was that a dark mark at the base of his neck? She blushed; she didn't think it would leave a mark. Oh well, he had it coming. "No?" She asked sardonically, crossing her hands over her chest. "So why are you on the floor?"

"Because one of us should act sensibly!"

"Real sensible, lying on the floor."

"Because," he sighed, sitting up, pulling his knees up and placing his elbows on them. "If I slept with you I would be exploiting your situation..."

"That's exactly what I don't agree with," Annie said. Damn, he was so sexy and she was so frustrated. She thought they were moving somewhere, that he was finally giving in. But she was wrong; he was so far from giving in that he preferred falling the floor than sleeping with her.

"You realize it's been a while since we got married, right? And I'm not the damsel in distress I once was. I'm accepted now." The responsibilities she got thanks to Shirley forced her to talk to the women involved in the preparations for the festival over the past week, and she felt that there was progress. Each of them talked to her beyond what they had to tell her about the festival. They gave her a real chance to prove herself, and she was grateful for it. She still wasn't really 'accepted', as she told him, but Shirley has confirmed that her position improved thanks to him. He was their beloved Sheriff, and her value grew by proximity. The general consensus in town was that if Jeff loved her enough to marry her, she must have had some virtues – seeing as she deserved their charismatic Sheriff.

"Damsel in distress? So what am I, your knight?" He gave her a crooked smile and she groaned internally. If she was a bit closer she would've drawn him to her and erased that arrogant smile with her own lips. But since he was on the floor, she would have to make do with rolling eyes.

"My dear knight," she said. "Do you know I'm very, very attracted to you?"

He stared blankly at her. "Huh?"

Why is he playing the idiot? "I'm att-rac-ted to you, I think you're very handsome, I fancy you, we're married, and I'd really like..." She cleared her throat. "...to be with my husband."

"Here you go, you're with me," he gestured between them. "Problem solved."

He was going to make her say it, wasn't he? Playing dirty. She frowned at him, but gave up; her expressions no longer affected him as before, she had to touch him to get the reaction she wanted. She shuffled forward and sat on the edge of the bed, her feet touching the floor. He wasn't far enough to move away in time when she leaned toward him, grabbed the collar of his shirt and put her lips to his ear. "I would like to sleep with you," she said in a low voice.

He moaned as if all the troubles of the world set on his back.

"And if I want to do it, then you are not taking advantage of me, because I will be a willing participant. See?"

"I can understand the attraction..." Jeffrey said and leaned away from her, so he could look into her eyes. "You're not the first woman to say it to me, Annie."

She hated when he did that, reminding her of all the hundreds or perhaps thousands of women he'd slept with in the past, and maybe in the present too. She hated to know he had so many women that he couldn't remember most of their faces. She hated the thought that she wasn't special to him in any way, and even more so that she knew all this before they married, yet she asked him to marry her anyway.

There was no point in regretting the past. They were married now, and she wanted to make the best out of their situation. But it didn't change the fact that he had aggravated her beyond reason.

"You're vain and full of yourself," she hissed through clenched teeth. "Sometimes I wonder why I even try." She backed away and turned her back to him.

She heard movement as he rose from the floor, feeling the bed sink under his weight behind her. She put her head on her pillow – the one that usually remained orphaned since he was her pillow now – and pushed her hands under her cheek. If that's how he wants to be, she doesn't want to deal with him tonight.

"Annie," he said softly behind her back. "I'm sorry."

"About what?" She whispered.

"What did you say?" His voice was closer, he must have put his head closer to her, to hear better.

"What are you sorry about?" She said aloud, her back still to him. "We talked about it before we married, I agreed to your terms, and it's not like I didn't know who you were, I can only blame myself."

"Don't blame yourself," he said quietly. His hand rested on her shoulder, warm through the nightshirt. Only minutes ago he had covered her whole body, and his heat made her blood boil and his hands made her want to gobble him down, bite by bite until there will remain nothing of them both. Now she just wanted him to leave her alone.

"I'm not," she said. "But it's annoying. When you don't listen to me. When you don't believe me."

"I believe you," Jeffrey said. "That's not the issue. I just think it's a bad idea for us to sleep together."

"Do you believe that I want you?"

"I... can read the signs."

"What signs? I thought I was saying it clearly."

"I mean the signs your body gives me."

"Oh." It made her fall silent as she tried to think what signs her body gave him, and found at least twenty. She responded to his touch with movement, kissed him at every opportunity, and was not ashamed to moan if he made her feel good. She learned from Rich to externalize her pleasure to help him know what she liked, and still thought it was a good strategy, although Jeffrey's stubbornness started making her doubt it.

"We are in no rush," he said quietly. "Give yourself time. I still think you aren't free of influences. Live with me a little longer, find how annoying I am, how stupid and stubborn. If you still want to be with me after all that-"

She turned to him, just a little. She wanted to see his face.

"-Then I promise to stop being so vain and full of myself, and think about it."

"You'll think about it?" She asked in disbelief. "That's it?"

He raised his hands in defense. "Sorry, that's all I feel confident to promise at the moment."

Annie sighed. He was so sweet sometimes, in sharp contrast to his usual manner, that she couldn't help but melt inside whenever she witnessed him behaving that way. "Well," she murmured. "Alright, I guess that's the best I've got right now."

She let him pull her to him, place her head on his shoulder, and heard him exhale in relief.

She never promised to stop kissing him, or stop pushing for more, nor did she intend to. He always responded to her, even if he would stop them before things went over the point of no return. In the end he would understand the logic in her side, she told herself. And after that, he would wonder why he had ever resisted her.

:::

Jeff walked around the decorated city square. A number of musicians sat on stage and played cheerful tunes that made him drum his foot rhythmically. Soon people would start dancing, he knew, and this time he thought to change his habit and join them. Annie told him that she liked to dance, and planted in his mind that if he dances with her, she might be less angry with him.

She wasn't so angry with him that she didn't talk to him, she even kissed him in the morning before she left for work, clung to him and everything, but he noticed that the rest of the time she was less enthusiastic than usual. It was a small difference he wouldn't have noticed if he had not lived with her in the same house every day of the week, but it still had affected his mood far more than he was willing to admit. She stopped humming to herself, and when she did, she stopped as soon as she noticed him. And even when she kissed him, afterwards she would pat his cheeks and avoid looking into his eyes.

She wasn't pleased with him, but she was decent enough not to be angry with him.

Still, he wanted to appease her so that she'd go back to laughing with him, not just smiling tersly.

"Sheriff." Abed materialized before him and held up his hand. "Hi."

"Hey, Abed," Jeff said. "Have you seen my wife?"

"She's very busy," the lad answered. "She hasn't finished supervising everything yet, but I've heard the women praise her. They're pleased with her."

"Arr.. Thanks for the report, I guess." Jeff muttered. Since he married, he no longer felt that he needed Abed to tell him what the mood was in the town, but Abed apparently still held the role of informant in his own eyes. It was helpful, actually. It'll be a shame to waste manpower that costs him nothing.

"Are you going to bring her the ring?" Abed asked.

Jeff turned to him sharply. "How do you know about that?" He demanded.

Abed shrugged. "A journalist has his sources..."  
"Abed.." Jeff snarled.

Abed jumped back, raising his hands to show his innocence. "Shirley! I heard it from Shirley."

"Oh, okay," Jeff relaxed immediately. Shirley was on their side. "And yes, I'm going to bring her the ring today." He patted his pocket, where the ring waited inside a small cloth bag.

"Good," Abed raised a thumb of encouragement. "Even though the women are pleased with her now, if what Nicole says is not soon disproved, it will be difficult to resist a new wave of rumors."

"I know," Jeff said blankly. "You don't have to lecture me about it."

"I just wanted to remind everyone of the conflict," Abed said, turning to his left and staring intently at... nothing. "For those who haven't been here some time and need a reminder."

"Who are you talking to?" Jeff looked around. Abed looked straight at the wall of a house; there was no one there. "Who needs a reminder, and what conflict?"

"Oh, there's more than one." Abed looked back at him. "There's the problem of the townspeople with Annie, and there's your problem with Annie."

"What's my problem with Annie?" This conversation went from bad to worse, but as always in conversations with Abed, Jeff couldn't look away from the carriage of the conversation rolling down the road to the edge of the cliff.

"That you married her to help her, and now you have to prove to everyone that you are in love, even though you don't know what it's like to be in love."

"It's none of your business, Abed," Jeff grabbed his sleeve and pulled the boy to him, looking to the sides, making sure no one looked at them, that no one was listening. "Whether I'm in love or not."

"Everything is my business," Abed said. "This is my town. And I have to know what's going on to have something to write in the newspaper."

"But you're not going to write anything about it, are you?"

"No," Abed shrugged, awkwardly patting Jeff's shoulder. "You are my friend. I want to help you. And Miss Annie is nice. That's why I wrote in the newspaper that you love her, to convince everyone of this lie."

"This lie?!"

Jeff turned and cursed. Troy stood behind him, close enough to hear Abed's words, and it seemed as though his world had been crushed to pieces. "How much did you hear?" Jeff asked immediately.

"You don't love her?!" Troy whispered in shock. "But you two.. but you.."

"Whatever you heard, forget it," Jeff hissed. Now wasn't a good time. The square filled with people dressed in their finest clothes, people who came to celebrate, and soon the music would begin, and it would be difficult to speak in private. He wanted to find Annie and dance with her, slip the damn ring on her damn finger and be done with all that damn mess. He said to Troy, "Come with me," and pointed to an empty alley.

Troy and Abed followed him without question, to his relief. When they were away from the crowd, Jeff immediately said, "What you think you've heard, it's not true."

"You don't love her," Troy said, not as shocked as before. Now he just looked sad. "It's true, what Abed said."

"It's not like it sounds!" Jeff huffed. "She doesn't love me either!"

"That's a lie, boss," Troy said. "That lady took a shine to you."

"She did not!"

"She did!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"You know what, why don't we ask Abed?" The two of them turned to the lad that stood nearby and watched with interest. Abed raised a hand in the air, parallel to the ground, and waved it, like a swinging door. "Something in the middle," he said.

"What?" Jeff asked.

"She wasn't in love at first, but you know, you seem to be more suited for each other than we originally thought. She is quite fond of you. She's definitely on the way to being in love with you."

"I..." Jeff rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't expect that. "Abed, that doesn't help!" He finally said. It was easier to be angry with Abed than to try to digest the fact that his wife was maybe, probably... falling for him.

"So you don't love her," Troy said, acceptance in his voice. "Then why did you marry her?" He gasped. "Is it because she's actually pregnant?!"

"She's not pregnant!" Jeff groaned. "And we were never together, so it's not possible either."

"Then why?" Troy asked in a small voice

"Because... because people harassed her," Jeff admitted. "Because she was unmarried, and too pretty, I guess... The gossip could not be stopped... She was miserable... so we agreed... to marry, so they would stop thinking she was trying to seduce everyone."

"People are idiots," Troy decided. "She's the most decent gal I've ever met, they're dumb to believe these things."

Jeff sighed, but smiled at him in agreement. "Yes. And I'm sorry you found out like that."

"Me too," Troy said. "Although I'd rather not find out at all. I was really happy for you, boss. She's a good woman, not like your usuals. I'm sorry she's not really the one who swept you off your feet." He shook his head. "It's a shame, a real shame."

"Well, that's no reason for grief," Jeff muttered. "We're all right, she and I. Marriage is not as bad as I thought."

Abed uttered such a cooing 'oooooh' that Jeff turned to him with a murderous look. Abed straightened up and stopped immediately. "Sorry, it felt like the obvious response. I'll go now, I think I saw candied apples," he pointed, and within moments disappeared from the alley.

Jeff looked back at Troy, who smiled at him, white teeth in full sight. "what?" Jeff asked sharply.

"Nothing," Troy said, still smiling. "Absolutely nothing."

:::

Annie was busy, just like Abed said. The corn hadn't been boiled in time, and she had to make sure someone brought them when they were ready, and the mayor followed her around half the time like a lost puppy, and was a bother more than help. In the end she sent him to tell the musicians to start playing dance music, which finally made him leave.

She had not seen Jeffrey yet, but she wasn't worried. He'll be there when he'll be there, and she had other concerns.

She noticed something; glares. Although the women she worked with on the festival were kind to her, and even joked with her, other women who came to the festival gave her hostile looks. Not many, certainly not like before, but enough to make her self-conscious. She studied herself; she was wearing a new dress, the color of a deep plum, still more modest than the dresses most of them wore, though she had slightly exposed shoulders. She decided to ignore them; it's not as if she had something else to do about it.

"Hello Miss Annie," Abed appeared in front of her, licking a caramel covered apple. "Have you finished provision yet?"

"Hello Mr. Nadir." She smiled. "Nearly."

"Do you mind if I accompany you?" He began to walk beside her without waiting for an answer.

"Not at all. How are you, Abed?"

"It's all good. There is infinity of stories in a journalist's life. There's always something new."

"Yeah…" They passed by a couple of women who stopped talking as soon as they saw her. Annie tried not to shudder visibly; it felt too similar to her situation before the wedding.

"Oh, right," Abed said. "I forgot about that."

"What?" Annie asked. She approached Sheila's young son, one of her older students, and ordered him to go pick up the decorations that had fallen on the other side of the square. The boy nodded and hopped away, whistling with the music. Couples began to dance in the center of the square, which was designated for this purpose.

"Not everyone like you," Abed said. "These women almost pierced through you with their eyes."

"That's reasonable," Annie told him. "It's impossible for everyone to like you. I'm sure there are people who don't like you, Mr. Nadir, despite your obvious charm. "

"Not everyone understands me," he shrugged. "But that's not why they don't like you."

"What's the reason, then?"

"They're jealous of you."

Annie snorted. "Why would someone envy me? I can barely get through one day without someone having an issue with me."

"Not because of who you are," Abed said, tilting his head to one side. "Because of whom you are _with_."

Annie followed his gaze and recognized Jeffrey between the townspeople, talking to the mayor next to the musicians. He seemed anxious, for some reason. And so handsome it should be illegal, even more than usual. He wore a white shirt, quite tight, and trousers that didn't look like they had been dragged in the dust for a decade, and... well, it was no revelation that he was… appetizing. She herself had said this to him - in less blunt words - more than once. Her eyes left him for a split second, and she understood what Abed was talking about. She wasn't the only one to watch him admiringly, or worse - with hungry eyes that made her grit her teeth. _Stop looking at him like that!_ She wanted to shout at them.

"They envy you because you caught him, and they tried to convince him that they're good for him since the day he came to town." Abed said, chewing on a piece of apple.

Annie let the possessiveness evaporate through her skin. He wasn't hers, not really. She had no right to feel that way. "Too bad, but it's their problem, not mine," she told him. "Besides, I'm pretty sure some of these women are married."

"Not all of them wanted to marry him," Abed said. "Some of them just wanted to seduce him. But he doesn't go with anyone. He has standards."

"Well, too bad," Annie exhaled. "But thank you for telling me, I suppose."

"She did manage to seduce him," Abed pointed to someone standing by the well. Annie's head snapped to see who he was talking about. It was a tall, attractive woman, her dark hair arranged in unnatural curls, her face narrow. She had seen this woman in town a few times, but had never spoken to her. Senator Slater's wife. Despite her age - she must have been at least a decade older than Annie - she was very beautiful, with her snub nose and slim figure...

"Oh," Annie said, her tongue suddenly heavy. "Oh."

"But that was before he met you," Abed said, looking from her to Mrs. Slater, concern on his face. "As far as I know... maybe you should talk to him about it."

"I'm not going to talk to him about it," Annie murmured, when suddenly she realized who she was talking to. "Mr. Nadir, this is not an appropriate subject to talk with a woman about! Certainly not a married woman!"

"I'm sorry, I wanted to help you," Abed tilted his head to the other side, confused.

"Yes, but such matters are a private matter of a person, and surely not a suitable conversation between a man and a woman! And in the middle of the town square! please remember your place in the future!" She reprimanded him like one of her students, but she was irritated and insecure, and Abed was close, and easy to scold.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't know it was so. I'll remember that." He nodded. Annie immediately regretted the way she spoke, but he seemed fine.

"Mrs. Wenger, I could not help wondering if you would like to dance with me?" Jeffrey stood beside them, smiling at her with an outstretched hand.

She melted. "Of course," and placed her hand in his.

"Abed," Jeff nodded to him before they left. Annie had already forgotten he was there.

She put her hand on his shoulder and let him draw her closer to him, as he put his hand at her lower back, just above the start of the skirt. He smiled at her and she smiled back. She was very confused by the conversation with Abed, so confused that her mind swirled when Jeffrey bared his teeth with a smile, and his eyes narrowed enough for her to know that the smile was real. She had to raise her head to look into his eyes, but it was worth the effort. She decided not to think about it at the moment.

"Great party you organized," he said in her ear.

She was warm from the mere sensation of his breath on her skin, but her faithful logic saved her from perfect humiliation, and reminded her that she was a bright young woman, and did not need a man to tell her that she was capable. "Thank you," she sounded almost as if he hadn't affected her at all.

Jeff looked down at her, enjoying her rosy cheeks - again with the cheeks? - and her fair shoulders, and the way her cleavage was modest from every angle except for his. He looked up from her for a second and saw Duncan smiling at him and waving, and Shirley beaming. And on the side, Abed raised a thumb of approval, and mouthed - _believable!_

 _They think we look in love_ , Jeff thought. Annie was very close to putting her head on his shoulder and dancing with him with her eyes closed. And apparently he won't mind if she did. It was pleasant to hold her and sway to the music, and yes, dancing was romantic, but he wasn't in love with her. Not really.

 _What if she is falling in love with me, like Abed said?..._

Argh, why did he have to worry about such things anyway?

On second look, Shirley motioned something to him. She was far away and it was getting dark, but he finally understood that she was pointing at her finger, or rather, at the ring. Right - the ring...

"I bought you something," he said. Annie looked up at him. "Courtship gifts?" She teased.

"Not exactly..." They stopped dancing so he could look in his pockets, and he found what he was looking for. He took out the bag, rummaged through it until he fished the ring and showed it to her. Her eyes widened. "You're giving me a ring?!"

"Well… Shirley said I had to," he said.

She raised an eyebrow and deadpanned, "How romantic."

"You know, I think you might be confused, too. We want to appear to be in love, we're not _actually_ in love."

"Stop talking, you're only making it worse." Annie rolled her eyes. "Now I have lost all desire to put this ring on my finger."

"But..." He cleared his throat. "Everyone saw me take out the ring, maybe you'd better put it on..."

Annie gave him a look that said: _I'll kill you later_ , took the ring and slid it on her finger. It fit perfectly. "It's very pretty," she murmured, moving her hand from side to side so the light reflected in the cerulean, gold-encrusted jewel.

"I was hoping you'd like it," he said under his breath. Shirley gave him two options, and he chose the blue stone to match her eyes. Annie's gaze softened as she stopped looking at the stone, stood on tiptoe and pecked his cheek. "I appreciate it. And I do like it."

He restrained himself from touching the spot she kissed. "Good. Very good. Now I dare them to say that we're not really married."

She sighed, for some reason, but resumed to dance with him.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Damn, why can't he turn a blind eye and go on with his life, like he did with any other woman ever? Why did he have to ask?

"Nothing's wrong." She shook her head. "I just am not fond of hearing you vehemently deny that we are in love."

"But that's the truth."

"Yes, but it doesn't have to be!"

"What do you mean?"

They kept swaying around before she answered. "You really hate love, don't you?"

"I don't hate it," Jeff said, weighing her words. "You can't hate something that doesn't exist."

"So you think love doesn't exist?"

"Love is a lie, Annie," he told her. "There is only lust. Lust that forces people to get married, and then they have children, and then they realize that the person they are with is in fact an idiot and it's a pity they're with them, but they're already married so they have more children until they eventually die."

"Wow, I didn't think I could regret asking you a question that much," Annie said dryly. "There is not a single drop of romance in you."

"It's not about romance," Jeff said. "I'm realistic. I've seen enough couples in my life to know that it never lasts. My father left my mother, and I myself have not found a woman I've ever felt this strange mix that people call love, so excuse me for being practical."

"I understand you've been badly hurt by what your father did," Annie said softly. "But you're wrong."

"We can agree to disagree," Jeff shrugged.

She nodded and continued to dance with him in silence. _Hell, what did I do? I was supposed to appease her! Now she seems even angrier than before... Not that she looked angry,_ he looked at her face _._ Her eyes were thoughtful _. But still not as pleased as I would prefer. As cheerful as she was before._

He didn't know how to fix it; for now, he let it go.

That night she secured the ring in the bag, on the bedside table and curled up with him as if nothing had happened. But he couldn't get rid of the feeling that something had happened today, something he had missed. He hoped it was not too important.

:::

 **AN:**

This chapter is dedicated to the people that left reviews and asked me to continue… You're awesome!

Still, don't get used to it. This story is so much on the back burner, that it's not even in the kitchen. I have a full outline for it, but at the moment I don't have the time - I'm writing a book! That might actually get published! That's why I don't update anymore.

I apologize to those who like this story and want to read more. I took a break from my current revisions to write this chapter just for you.

About the chapter: I just love Abed, he's adorable. And also Troy.

If you noticed, I somewhat abandoned the idea of calling people by their surnames (Annie calls Abed by his given name, and everyone else just calls her Miss Annie). It annoyed me to try and remember their surnames, and also, I find it weird when people call Annie 'Mrs. Winger' - but don't tell the fandom! Anyway, I hope the change wasn't too jarring.

R&R and DFTBA


	10. Stupid

Chapter Ten

Of all the new armchairs in the living room that Annie had brought over the last week, she sat in Jeff's favorite one: the same armchair he was sitting in.

Any other woman who would try to sit with him in the same chair would've received a definite 'no', no matter how pretty they asked. Annie, on the other hand, had only to kiss him until his brain was running from his ears and his legs lost the ability to stand and the only solution was to sit down in the nearest available spot. Which was the armchair in the living room. Annie settled back in his lap, holding his face between her hands and kissing him with the same resolve she used in every task she took upon herself.

He held her knees so she wouldn't fall, and his other hand cupped her waist. He let himself forget his long day, the worried faces of the townspeople, as the news from the rest of the country dripped into town. He didn't want to think of the restless Indians who stirred trouble in the South and… Annie's hand slid under his shirt and he forgot what was next. What was next, for him, was that her delicate fingers stroked his abdominal muscles. He broke away from the kiss, turned his face away from her and closed his eyes; _nothing's going to happen. Think of nasty things! Shirley's boys wipe their noses on their shirts. Troy throws up. Pierce demonstrates how his first wife looked, may she rest in peace_.

It helped. And before Annie would go in unwanted directions, he grabbed her hand through the shirt.

To his relief, Annie murmured, "Oops, what's my hand doing there?" And retrieved her hand. He glared at her when she laid her hand on her lap and smoothed her skirt, a small smile playing at her lips. She looked up at him, and he narrowed his eyes threateningly. She smiled innocently and raised her hand to comb through his hair.

The sensation of her fingers on his scalp... was better than he would ever admit. He would let her go on with it just a bit more, then tell her to stop.

In a bit.

"Jeffrey... do you want children?"

He opened his eyes and every sense of calm dissipated, even though her fingers were still combing through his hair, her nails gentle on the back of his neck, behind his ears. He stared at her face that was close to his, but she didn't look at him, instead concentrating on her hands, as if it were the most important task in the world.

"What?"

"I know you never intended to get married, but you must have thought about children... Everyone thinks about children."

"I don't." But immediately he regretted it. She was right, he did think of children - years ago, when he was a young boy and thought he would grow up and find a respectable girl and make his mother happy, and have a bunch of kids that his dear wife would bring up and he will only see when they would come to kiss him goodnight. "I mean... I haven't thought about it in years."

"What did you think then?"

"I thought..." He stared at her. Her blue eyes turned to look at him, and he forgot the question for a moment. "..What does it matter? It was ages ago, and then I decided that I would never get married and that was the end of it."

"Oh." Annie bit her lower lip, combing his hair distractedly.

He waited for the rest.

Annie gathered both hands in her lap, stood gracefully, and held out her hand. "It's getting late and you're tired. Come to bed."

That's it? Wasn't she going to continue? Ask him why? Tell him why children are good for him? That children will save his life and atone for all his sins? Wasn't she going to argue with him and yell at him and stop talking to him until he caved and changed his mind?

He followed her up the stairs to their room, turned his back as she changed into her nightgown and watched as she combed her long hair from the tight curls of the day.

"Do you want to bathe?" Annie asked. "I can leave, if you like."

He didn't want to bathe but she had already left. So he washed. Maybe he was too tired.

When they curled up under the blanket, her nose rubbing against the bare skin of his neck, her hand drawing circles on his chest, he could no longer bear the silence. "That's it?" He asked her.

"Hmm?"

"You're not going to continue talking about it?"

"About what?" She murmured, and he got the vague impression that she was almost asleep.

"You asked me about children, and now you're acting as if you didn't say a thing!"

Annie sighed. "I rather hoped you'll forget it. It was stupid to mention it. I don't know what I expected."

"Why is it stupid?"

Annie shook her head, her soft hair tickling his cheeks as she turned to look into his eyes. "Because you don't want children, just as you didn't want to get married. You didn't get married - you don't want children. It's that simple. Besides..." She bit her lower lip again, and it was a bad habit because he, too, started to want to bite on her lip. He rejected the thought, because this conversation was more urgent than kissing.

Annie said, "It's stupid to check if you want children because we aren't even intimate with each other. I won't get pregnant from kissing... no matter how much I want a child... so I shouldn't have asked at all."

"You want a child."

"Yes."

Jeff watched her. _She's so beautiful, so young. And she's stuck with me. She deserves everything she wants. Too bad all she'll get is me_.

"I'm sor-" he said, but she put her fingers to his lips. "Don't," she told him. "You warned me before we married, remember? You told me I didn't think it through. And you were right. It didn't occur to me that you didn't want children even though it was obvious, since you had given up on marriage..." She stopped and looked away from him, and some blush darkened her cheeks. "Even though you haven't abstained from women..."

"I've always made sure there are no unwanted accidents," Jeff said sharply. "I won't have any illegitimate children that I can't take care of. I'm careful."

Annie shut her eyes so tightly that her entire face wrinkled. "Oh," she whispered.

 _Darn it, did I hurt her again?_

"I'm sorry," he said at once, regretting whatever he said that had caused this pain to appear on her face.

"You're forgiven," Annie opened her eyes, and the unbearable pain passed. She gave him a slight smile. "I wish you wouldn't think so," she said. "Because children are... You probably heard it all before. Your continuation. The continuation of all of us. And you will be a great father, but I cannot ask you for anything; you warned me."

 _I'll be a great father?_ He almost scoffed out loud, but she put her head back on his shoulder, and settled herself until her body felt as though it had always been a part of him.

"Good night, Jeff," Annie murmured, and from her rhythmic breathing, it seemed that the damned woman had fallen asleep almost immediately.

He lay awake for almost an hour after that.

:::

"She wants children from me, have you ever heard such a ridiculous idea in your life?" Jeff threw his hands in the air of the empty sheriff's office. "Me! Jeff Winger! Number-one-bachelor-in-town from the moment I set foot in Greendale!" He paced from one side to the other in the small office, but it didn't satisfy his frustration, since his long legs carried him too fast from wall to wall. He fell on the edge of the table with a thud. "I am no longer single, so that ship has sailed, but who in their right minds would ever offer me to be a father?! 'Oh Jeff, I've noticed your thrilling habits of drinking Scotch every day and your non-existent patience for children, wan'na get me pregnant?' She doesn't understand what she's asking for!"

Jeff stared at the open office door. It wasn't fair to her - she didn't actually ask him.

"Right, she didn't ask me, but she wants them! And we're married! What does she expect me to do?"

The front door creaked when someone entered, then footsteps in the other room. Finally Troy's head popped into the office door. "Boss, is everything alright?"

Jeff looked at him without seeing, then sighed. "Yes Troy, everything is fine."

"Are you sure? I heard shouting."

Jeff gave him a look that said, _if you're implying that I shouted, you're the crazy one_.

Troy said, "Just wanted to make sure nothing's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong."

Troy nodded and disappeared behind the wall. Jeff stood up, circled his desk, and sat down in the sheriff's chair.

"Boss?" Troy was back.

"Yes?"

"You know that if there's something bothering you... you can tell me?"

As if he'd tell anything to Troy. As if he would tell him that his young wife, the prim teacher, the priest's widow, wanted children from him.

"Troy..." Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Boss, I may be young, but I know a man shouldn't keep his worries to himself. It's unhealthy."

"What, really?"

"Really."

"No, I meant: do you really think I give a damn?"

Troy came to the table and leaned on it next to Jeff, so that Jeff could look into the young man's dark eyes: Troy was worried. "If it's anything to do with your lady..." Troy said, "It's true that I'm not an expert in women like you, but sometimes it's better to tell our thoughts to someone else, sometimes other people can find the solution that we don't see."

Jeff glared at him.

Troy said, "For instance, remember when I was head over heels for this girl Randy, until it turned out she was seeing Vaughn all along? I was crushed. I was sure I would never find a woman like her, so... beautiful. With a skin as hers, like soil that has just been watered..." Troy sighed dreamily.

Jeff crossed his arms over his chest. Yes, he remembered the girl who's turned Troy's head until it barely stayed on his neck, so what?

"And when I discovered the betrayal, I was sure my life was over. But then Abed convinced me to tell him what had happened, and you know what? He helped me. He told me she wasn't perfect, that it was a good thing she went with Vaughn to eat apples in the field, that I was now available to find the woman who would really be good to me. He made me realize that I was freer than I had been while I was in love with her. And I wouldn't've known it if I hadn't told him what I think."

Jeff sighed a long, long sigh, and the weariness of the previous night settled on his shoulders. "Okay, Troy," he said. "I'll talk, but if I find out you've told anyone in the world what I'm going to tell you..."

"Of course I won't tell! I swear!"

"Not even to Abed."

Troy gasped. "But... but Abed! But it's Abed! but-"

"No buts."

"He knows everything anyway!"

"He doesn't need to know this."

Troy calmed down, took a deep breath and spit in his palm. "I promise not to tell, not even to Abed."

Jeff deliberately ignored Troy's outstretched hand. He rubbed his face, considering what he would say. He wouldn't tell him about the children, that was... too troublesome. But maybe it would help him to unload some of the tension that had accumulated in his body lately. "You know Annie and I didn't marry for love."

Troy nodded gravely.

"We married so they would stop harassing her, and from the start I told her we wouldn't consummate the marriage."

Troy's eyes widened profusely, strikingly white in his brown face, and his mouth gaped open, but miraculously he didn't utter a word.

"I know what you're thinking, and I beat myself over it every day, but it's the right way." Jeff told him. "She came to marry me under pressure. Then... she saw me blindfolded, because I rescued her, she couldn't come to me because of me. And now..."

"I didn't get that," Troy interrupted.

Jeff huffed. "Do you want me to tell you or not?"

"Yes! But... What do you mean she saw you blindfolded?"

Jeff growled, but he had no one to blame but himself. "It means she thinks only good things about me because she's so grateful to me for helping her. She thinks I'm an angel."

"Ah," Troy nodded, smiling. "And you're not an angel."

"Quite the contrary."

"You're underestimating yourself, boss."

Interestingly, Annie loved telling him that as well. Anyway... "But she keeps... kissing me. You saw. She wants us to be together, like a real husband and wife."

"So what's the problem?"

"You really don't understand?"

"No... you want her, she wants you, you're married, what's the problem?"

"The problem is..." Jeff stared into space and tried to remember what the problem was. Why each time the kissing became too heated, as soon as hands touched warm skin, approached sensitive areas, he became filled with fear and apprehension and deep disdain for himself, and was unable to complete what his body so painfully wanted?

"Because it would be the wrong thing to do," he said to Troy.

"Why?"

"Because I didn't marry her to bed her."

"So what?"

"We didn't marry so I would enjoy myself, I married her in pure intentions."

Troy tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

"Truly! I didn't even think it! I told her in advance that we wouldn't do the deed! What proof do you need more than that?"

Troy made a noise that said he was thinking, and that soon the thoughts would turn into words. Jeff waited. Finally Troy said, "So... it's not good to bed your own wife?"

"Not if she doesn't really want it."

Troy wiggled his eyebrows and tilted his head, in a look that Jeff had interpreted as 'These are some tall piles of bullcrap you're selling me.'

"She's.. fine, maybe she does want it, but..." Jeff thought about it, long and hard, and realized that the distaste he felt was for himself. Disgust with himself for taking advantage of her. "If we do it, it would mean that I married her to take advantage of her. And for the one good thing I did in my life... I don't want to ruin it."

"You've done a lot of good things in your life!" Troy cried, clasping his hands on his thighs. "You saved Greendale from the raiders, remember?!"

"Yeah, but..." Jeff studied Troy out of the corner of his eye. Troy didn't know the whole story. Troy didn't know that the big rescue, the reason all of Greendale loved Sheriff Winger, was based on lies. And Jeff had no intention of telling him that. "Yes, but I wasn't good to women."

"Oh," Troy said. "Well, I can't say about that."

 _I was good to them in bed, but as soon as I finished with them... I rolled them over to the other side and went home. The act was always empty. They knew I didn't love them, that I had no intention of marrying them. Maybe I gave them physical pleasure... but nothing more. And to this day I can see their faces darken when they see me; they know I wasn't good to them, and I know it too._

"Are you satisfied now?" Jeff said. "I told you. Do you have an idea how to solve this?"

"Yes. Stop being stupid."

Jeff glared.

Troy quickly added: "With all due respect, boss." He shrugged. "That's my solution, if you don't like it, that's on you." When Jeff said nothing, Troy nodded, got up and started walking toward the door, as if the matter had been resolved. Jeff held his breath, unwilling to feel relieved until the lad left the room.

As he had feared, Troy stopped halfway. "But boss, how do you manage? You have been married for.. I don't know, a month? Two months? And you didn't sleep together all this time?"

"I manage fine," Jeff said.

"And isn't it... hard on you?"

Jeff looked away from the lad. "Ha! Hard. Yes. But... she's worth it."

"Have you got yourself another woman?"

"Of course not! What do you think I am?"

"Not an angel."

"Yes, well. But I'm not a cheater."

"So then," Troy said with interest. "Are you taking care of it yourself?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Do you... stroke the snake? Water the field? Clean the pistol?"

Jeff stood up abruptly, his chair creaking on the floor, and said with authority, "That'll be all for today, Troy! Get out of my office!"

Troy nodded to himself, as if that was a positive answer, and raised a thumb as he left. "Whatever you say, boss."

Jeff frowned at the closed door. Yes, he 'cleaned the pistol', almost every day, otherwise he couldn't be in the same house with his wife, but it was nobody's business. Certainly not his second, who shoved his nose where it was unwanted. Even if the lad thought he was his best friend, even if he had good intentions.

It just wasn't.

:::

Jeff shifted and his hand climbed up a smooth thigh, then pulled her leg to wrap around his. So much soft skin, and his hands were allowed to do with it as they pleased.

Annie moaned in his ear. "This is nice, Jeffrey..."

It was a good dream. At least in his dreams he got to be with her.

There was too much cloth between them. He pulled his long shirt over his head and threw it aside. His hands climbed under her nightgown and cupped her breasts. Annie gasped.

He was between her legs in their big bed, and soon both will be naked, and he will finally get to know her...

It all felt too good, too familiar.

He opened his eyes.

"Jeff?" Annie whispered, breathless, her palms gripping the sides of his face. "Are you sure?"

It wasn't a dream.

He choked and pulled his hands away from her tempting body, retreated and jumped out of bed, and found his nightshirt on the floor.

"Jeff? What happened?"

"Go back to sleep," he told her as he covered his waist with his shirt, hiding his treacherous body even though the room was completely dark. "Nothing happened. I'm going to get something to drink."

He didn't have to see her face to know she was sleepy, anxious, and confused. He heard it in her voice. "Oh... alright."

He fled the room and didn't return after he got his drink, only an hour later, when he was sure she had fallen asleep.

:::

Annie sat in Shirley's kitchen and studied the pages in front of her.

She asked the children to write a story as if they were historians. They had to choose a story that happened to them, explain what happened, what were the reasons for it, and what were the ramifications. Of course, this homework task was only for the older children, and it still took a whole lesson just so they understood the meaning of the word "ramifications". The stories were interesting - the spelling was poor. She marked a wrongly spelled word, a phrase that was incomprehensible. Woody, for one, told of the time he fell into the pit and broke his leg. He said that the result of the fall was a broken leg and that he stayed at home for a week without moving. She wrote to him: "And what are the reasons for the fall?"

Children. They were great.

Most of the time.

 _God, I'm such a fool._

Shirley made cookies and concentrated on making the mixture in silence, and didn't bother Annie while she was going through the pages. Annie was happy for the company, happy for the calm and friendship. But once in a while, when such a thought occurred, she wanted to break the silence and tell Shirley what she was thinking.

 _First I'll finish the task at hand._

She read Dolly's story - about the festival a few weeks ago - and though there was no real story there, Dolly had found reasons and implications, and Annie thought it showed an extraordinary understanding. She would tell Dolly's mother that she was very impressed.

Annie imagined Dolly's mother beaming at the praise, then imagined herself beaming at a similar compliment about her children. _My children will be smart. I'll see to it_.

Annie considered herself smart, and Jeffrey was clever as well... even when he used his mind to achieve unseemly things. Like the fact that he managed to get the Greendale womenfolk to take care of his regular meals while he was single. He was quite intelligent when he wanted to be. Any child of theirs will be as brilliant as a gem.

 _Don't be stupid. You won't have any children, because Jeff doesn't want children._

Annie finished examining the last three pieces, corrected what needed to be corrected, and heaved a sigh.

Shirley said to herself, "Where's this spoon? I'm sure I put it back the last time I used it!"

"Shirley," Annie said from her place at the table, "can I stay for dinner? Eat with you and the boys?"

"Of course, honey," Shirley replied. "Why?"

"Why not?" Annie flushed.

Shirley turned to her. "Excuse me if I think it's strange that a newly married woman, with a husband as hungry as our sheriff, would rather eat with me than go home and feed her man."

Annie lowered her eyes to the table and began to arrange the pages together. "It is strange," she murmured. "It's just that Jeff wasn't at home this last week."

"Why?"

"I don't know..."

Shirley gave her a once-over. "This sounds fishy. Why wouldn't you know where he is? Don't you want to know?"

"I want to know," Annie said. "But... he's just not there. He comes back very late at night, and in the morning it's not a good time to ask him questions."

"Annie, honey..."

"I know how it sounds. But I think I know why he prefers not to come home."

"Yes?"

"Yes." Annie didn't want to say it, but she had to. "I told him I wanted children, and he doesn't want them, clearly... I practically scared him away."

"Oh, Annie," Shirley abandoned the cookie dough and came to sit beside her, taking her hand in hers. "I'm sorry."

"I'm a fool," Annie told her. "I want a child of my own so bad, but Jeff will not- to him we're not even married."

"You're not a fool, child."

"I shouldn't have said anything."

"You know," Shirley said, "if a woman wants to get pregnant even though her husband doesn't, there are ways."

Annie turned so quickly that her curls slapped against her cheek. "Shirley! Are you saying what I think you're saying?!"

"Not cheat on him!" Shirley laughed. "With him! I mean, seduce him in a way that will make him careless."

"Oh," Annie's shoulders sank. "It won't work."

"You haven't heard the method yet."

"Shirley," Annie said dryly, "I've been trying to seduce him for two months now, and he won't even touch me under the clothes." Except that one time, a week ago, when he wasn't fully awake. She woke up from his caresses, and immediately wanted more - she hardly breathed when she thought he was going to make love to her in the middle of the night, that it would finally happen - when he kissed her neck and his hands touched places she hadn't been touched for a long time. But then he woke up, and she realized that for him nothing had changed, that only in dreams did he allow himself what he didn't allow both of them in reality.

Shirley exclaimed. "Really? This man has managed to keep your virtue for so long?!"

"I don't have any virtue to speak of..." Annie reminded her.

"Still! I'm pleasantly surprised. It turns out that he still has some decency, this man."

"I thought he was the perfect law-keeper of Greendale?" Annie said, partly amused.

"Law-keeper - yes, breaking hearts and jumping beds - as well."

Annie closed her eyes as a familiar pain gripped her heart. Sometimes it felt as if her whole body was hardening from the inside.

Shirley murmured, "What's the matter, child?"

 _He was in their beds but not mine. Why am I different? Why is he willing to be with them but not with me?_

Annie lowered her eyes to the square pages that children carelessly wrinkled and tore at the ends, arranged on top of each other in perfect order. She whispered, "Why doesn't he come back?"

"I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding," Shirley said. "I know Jeffrey. He wouldn't have married you if he didn't like you more than any other woman. And from what I saw of you together, he likes you more than any other man too."

"Not enough to come back home." Annie recalled the first day it had happened. She woke up in his arms in the morning and kissed his cheek. Thought, _Something special happened tonight_. He never lost control like that. _Maybe he's starting to change his mind. Maybe tonight I'll wear a thinner nightgown. I'll make him good food, not too heavy. Get him full but not sleepy_. She walked around that day in a dreamlike state, even when she was in class. Whenever her attention wasn't needed, her mind drifted to Jeff, his gaze, his hands, his searing kisses, his strong body covering hers. _Tonight_.

She waited for him until the food cooled, and after two hours ate it herself. He hadn't arrived either as she prepared to sleep, nor when she lay in the big bed alone under the blanket and missed his broad shoulders and soothing presence. His voice thrumming in his chest as he wished her good night.

He didn't come.

On the second day she ate after half an hour.

On the third day she stopped waiting for him.

Shirley said, "When Andre and I got married we would argue every once in awhile. It took us time to learn to forgive, to make peace. There was a time that he too came back late, and I didn't understand why. One day I grabbed him and asked him if he no longer loved me. Turns out he couldn't stand the smell of the detergent I used, and he couldn't get in without covering his nose. You know what he said to me? 'You work so hard to clean the house, I didn't want to hurt you'! He thought I would get hurt because I was offended when he commented about a certain dish. All you need to do is talk."

Annie nodded. That was good advice, and she thought she'd talked to Jeff quite enough, but... "But he's not home. He sleeps when I go out, and comes back when I'm asleep."

"You don't have to wait for him at home, you know." Shirley smiled. "Pull yourself together, woman! Are you not in possession of two legs and strength to walk and bring with you dinner for two?"

Annie straightened up. "I didn't think of that! And I have just the basket!"

Shirley smiled contentedly. "Wonderful, child. And come back and tell me what he said."

Annie nodded absentmindedly, took out a blank page and quickly wrote down what she would have to buy and prepare. When she finished, she found Shirley had returned to her cookies and finished arranging them on a tray.

"Shirley," Annie said, "can I ask you something?"

"Anything, my dear."

"Are you not worried when Andre is away from home for so many months?"

Shirley pushed the tray into the oven. "Of course. With the situation in the south, the Indian attacks. It's very dangerous out there. But I pray for him every day."

"No, I mean... he might be.." Annie shut her mouth. Why should she give a calm woman the idea that her husband was cheating on her? What could Shirley even do? She loved him, and the money Andre sent had helped her with the three boys, each of whom needed food to grow and new shoes every few months. Better to keep quiet.

Shirley raised a sarcastic eyebrow. "Oh, we're talking about me now? I liked it better when you never asked how I'm doing."

"I Do talk a lot about myself, don't I?" Annie asked sheepishly. "I'm a horrible friend."

Shirley chuckled. "You're not, but it won't hurt to take an interest in my life every now and then."

"I promise to change my ways," Annie said, resting her chin on her hand. "Tell me how you're doing, Shirley."

Shirley checked the hour and sat next to Annie, petted her hand and said with a smile, "Very well. I hope you have the whole evening. "

:::

The sun was descending from its peak when Annie walked briskly through the streets of the town. She released the students early so she had time to prepare food, put on a new blue dress, and pack everything in the basket. Jeff hadn't returned the night before, so she intended to complete her mission: come to her stubborn husband and persuade him to come back home. And not a word about children.

The street was rather empty. Most people were done with work by now. Annie waved at Sheila as she passed, then stopped to chat with her. She asked Sheila how her eldest son was doing with his studies, with his new apprenticeship. Sheila told her that he wanted to be a lawyer when he grows up. Annie thought it was wonderful.

Sheila said her goodbyes, and Annie walked on, looking up at the sheriff's office a few buildings away. Jeff was standing on the porch, talking to someone. Annie moved closer, straining her eyes.

She froze when she recognized who he was talking to: Mrs. Slater. The senator's wife.

The one that Abed told her who, unlike other women, she was successful in seducing the sheriff.

Annie's heart leaped to her throat, and suddenly the basket was heavy in her hands, and she was unable to move, only watch them. Mrs. Slater said something and touched Jeff's arm: his hands were folded across his chest, so he didn't respond to the touch. In the shade it was hard to see his expression, certainly not what he said, but it wasn't hard to see how close they stood, so much so that Mrs. Slater's wide skirt hid his legs.

 _Is that what he's doing when he doesn't come home?_

 _God, I'm so stupid!_

She didn't hear what they were talking about, but thank God, Mrs. Slater stopped touching him. She was almost his height, and didn't have to twist her neck to look at him, like Annie. An attractive woman. Annie could understand why Jeffrey had chosen her...

 _Why are you doing this to yourself? Go. He doesn't want to see you. How much more obvious can it be?_

Mrs. Slater turned and walked down the porch stairs with poise, and turned the other way, to Annie's relief. She didn't see Annie frozen, staring at them like the stupid woman she was at the moment. She couldn't have bared the humiliation if that woman have seen her…

"Annie?"

Annie winced as Jeffrey's voice came from the porch. He saw her and waved.

 _It's too late to retreat_.

Annie swallowed on her spit and hurt pride, and waved faintly. He got off the porch and came to her. "Annie, what are you doing here?"

"I..." She moistened her lips and lowered her eyes to the basket, clenched between her fists. "Nothing... I mean, I brought you dinner."

She dared to look up at his face, and he smiled his soft smile at her, the smile she missed seeing all week. Her heart skipped and then sank. _He smiles at me like that after she was here?..._

Jeff took the basket from her clenched hands, moved it to his left hand, and put his right on the small of her back, directing her to the office. "Thank you Annie. You didn't have to. I managed."

She forced herself to speak. "Of course. I know there are those who will be happy to feed you, but..."

"I went to Pierce's salon and bought a meal."

"Oh." He didn't get food from Slater; It was a kind of consolation.

"But I stopped going there..." Jeff admitted. He cleared his throat. "I forgot the biggest drawback of Pierce's salon: Pierce."

Annie forced a strangled chuckle, since Jeff had complained to her about Pierce several times. The man was the main cause of fighting in town, and Jeff despised him for it. Jeff said, "It's a wonder this man got married once, let alone four times."

Annie murmured, "You married..."

They stepped inside. Jeff opened his office door and placed the basket on the table. "Are you comparing me to Pierce?"

Annie realized what she had said, and her eyes widened in terror. "No! No, of course not! You're better than him. In every sense. The wonder with you is the opposite, if anything, how come you didn't marry for so long..."

Jeff gave her a side-glance, turned to her and folded his hands on his chest. Annie flushed. "forgive me, I know it was a choice, and not for lack of opportunities..." She had to stop talking. She was speaking nonsense, things he didn't want to hear and she didn't want to say. What she wanted to ask him was why he didn't come home last week, but she has already received her answer: he had another woman to entertain him. He didn't need Annie. She ought to be glad he came back to sleep in their bed at all.

Jeff smirked and said, "You don't have to explain yourself, Annie. I know exactly what I am."

She looked at him helplessly, at a loss for words.

"So what did you bring us?" He asked, gesturing at the basket.

"Oh!" She recalled her first intention, and began unpacking the basket on the table: meat, pie, fruit. She took out the cutlery, and though she brought plates and cutlery for two, she realized that she assumed he would want to eat with her, an assumption she now doubted.

"Why are you putting inside the other plate? Don't you want to stay?"

"No, yes... I mean, I can see you're busy, so I'll fix it for you and go." She didn't look at him when she said that. _Stupid, stupid, stupid. He didn't marry you for love, and you can't expect anything from him. If he goes to other women, what can you do? He never promised you fidelity_.

She began to put the superfluous cutlery into the basket. Jeff grabbed her forearm, and Annie's heart, which hadn't yet calmed down, once more beat fiercely. The touch of his skin against hers...

"Don't go," Jeff said. "I'm not busy. Stay and eat with me." Annie slowly raised her eyes from his palm on her forearm, up to his shoulder, his neck, then his pleading eyes. He said, "I see you've brought enough for both of us. Stay."

Annie nodded slowly, the blood rushing to her face. How could he make her feel like a maiden in one word, the touch of his hand on her skin, the look of his eyes? _Bloody man. I wish I had never met him_.

That was a lie. She was glad she had met him. "All right," she said quietly, smiling halfheartedly. Maybe it wasn't what she had meant when she came here, but it was something. "I'll stay."

Jeff cut the meat and pie for both of them, and they sat in front of the table and ate with their plates on their knees. Annie concentrated on her food, lingering on each bite, stealing glances at Jeffrey from time to time, just to make sure he enjoyed the food. He ate with appetite. That was also a relief: he enjoyed her food.

"Is that a new dress?"

Annie touched the fabric of her skirt, rich with embroidered flowers in the same hue, so only someone who looked closely could see them. It was called Cobalt, a kind of blue that was dark but definitely not black, and it looked enticing with her complexion and eyes - even if she said so herself. "Yes." _I wore it for you_.

"It's pretty."

"Thank you."

"And the food is delicious."

"Thank you."

Jeff cleared his throat. Annie finished eating her pie and put the plate on the table, folding her hands together.

"Annie? Did you want to talk to me about something?"

"It... doesn't matter."

"Look, if it's about children-"

"You don't want them. I got it. Forget it."

"But..."

She glanced at him. He seemed concerned, anxious, and his eyes didn't leave her. She said, "Really. You don't have to explain yourself further. I understand that no means no."

"But it's not like... I mean, Annie. You'd be the perfect mother. Any child will be lucky to call you Mom."

She didn't expect that. To hear that from him. The compliment was genuine, but the pain went deep. "What does it matter? I won't have children."

"Maybe one day-"

"Especially since you're not coming home anymore."

Jeff paused. "You noticed that, didn't you?"

"Did you think I wouldn't have noticed?" She tilted her head, and his eyes left her face as he rubbed the back of his neck. _He actually thought I wouldn't notice he was gone_.

"You know I'm your wife, right?"

"Of course.."

"We live in the same house, sleep together every night. I miss you." She didn't mean to say those last words, but they ran away and she couldn't take them back now.

"Really?" He frowned. "You miss me?"

"Of course!" God, that man!

"I'm sorry," Jeff said, and it felt like he had said those words to her dozens of times before. "I didn't think it would affect you. I... I thought I should stay in the sheriff's office in case someone needed me in the evening. With the situation in the south, people are upset. The riots might come to us..."

In fact, it made perfect sense. He stayed because he felt he was needed for the security of the town. She wanted to believe him. But she remembered Slater standing close to him, her hand on his arm…

She stood up. "You're right." She began packing the leftovers of the meal in the basket. "It's a good thing you stayed. You're a good sheriff, and I appreciate it." The basket was full and orderly in seconds; pent up anger was good for her efficiency, it appears. She ran her hands over her skirt, cleaning crumbs that might have fallen while she ate, took his empty plate and put it in the basket. "You're done eating, right?"

"Yes."

She covered everything with a blanket and turned away from the table. "Jeff," she began.

"I'll walk you out."

She let him walk her to the porch. The sun was setting, but there was still enough light for her to feel safe walking home alone. Jeff halted her before she went down the porch stairs.

"Annie," he said. She turned to him and tilted her head until she looked in his eyes. He stood close, closer than he had been standing with Slater, so much that she could feel the warmth of his body. He grasped her chin gently, and bent down to cover her mouth with his.

God, that man...

She missed it. His warm lips against hers. His taste, now mixed with the taste of the meal they ate. His closeness, and knowing that he was with her. He hadn't kissed her like that for more than a week. She sighed and rested her palm on his cheek, her thumb stroking the stubble on his face.

She didn't know how long he'd been kissing her, but she was disappointed when it was over.

"Annie," he said in a low voice, "it'll be alright. Do you trust me?"

She studied his face, and wanted so much to believe. _How did I get here? Jealous of a man who promised me nothing? Courting my husband? Unable to tell him to choose me, instead of all the other women?_ The tears tickled the back of her eyes, but she wouldn't cry, not when he looked at her with soft eyes and his hand held her chin and all she wanted to believe was that everything would be all right.

"Yes," she said, and if she was a little out of breath, he could blame the kiss, and no other reason.

"Thanks for the meal. You surprised me, but it was a pleasant surprise. If it's not hard for you, I'd love you to come again."

"All right," Annie couldn't help but agree. "I will come."

"See you at home?"

"Yes..." She turned and walked down the stairs. "See you."

He didn't come back that night, but the next morning he kissed her properly before she left. She supposed she should have been happy with what he could give her.

But it wasn't easy.

:::

 **AN:** I'm back!

Kind of.

To those of you who read these bits, and know that I'm writing a book - yes, I'm still writing it. But I'm between revisions now, and I'm waiting for my Betas' feedback before I return for my last revision. So in the meantime... I'm free to write fanfics!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter - I quite liked it. I hope you laughed out loud at the parts where I was trying to be funny. Did the steamy parts catch you off guard? I'm curious to know!

In other news: Google Translate is so much better now, it took me no time at all to translate this! So that's fun.

To those who wander "where the f is Britta?" (as Anon put it so eloquently) here's my answer: She is definitely in this story, but in more advanced chapters. Currently she's in New-York (*wink*), trying to find herself and be something. She will get to Greendale eventually (and stay there). So stay tuned, someday you'll get her story as well :)

Massive thanks for the reviews! They make me want to continue this - knowing that I'm not the only one who's having fun with this. You're the best for stopping by to tell me what you think!

R&R and DFTBA


	11. Desperate

Chapter 11 - Desperate

Annie dreamed of blood.

She rolled over in bed, the sheets piled up over her, tangled between her legs, and she pushed them away in her sleep.

She dreamed of Rich. She dreamed of the day he left for war. How she waved to him calmly, and he smiled and gestured with his hands that she should pray. She did; She was the wife of a priest, and knew what was ought to be done. And God was the only one she had after Rich left.

But she hadn't prayed enough.

She dreamed of the war, which hadn't reached her doorstep, but the injured soldiers who returned home brought the horrors with them. Missing parts. Missing limbs.

Missing husbands.

Although she wasn't there when it happened, she dreamed of Rich getting shot in the head, and although she knew that in reality he was shot in the stomach, in the dream the blood was so real. She ran to him, tried to stop the blood in her hands, but to no avail. The blood flowed and flowed, and she whispered, _I'm sorry Rich, I'm sorry, I tried..._ and he looked at her with accusing blue eyes, and said, _you didn't pray enough_.

She woke up and there was blood on her hands.

She screamed.

"Annie?"

She woke Jeff; His arm was around her stomach, which hurt as if knives had cut through her, and her fingertips were dark with blood that had dried and turned brown. She doubled over, trying to ease the pain, and despite all of that, the relief washed over her. _I didn't kill Rich. God decided to take him away from me. And God gave me another husband._

"Annie, is everything all right?"

Annie groaned, buried her face in the pillow, and took a deep breath. Now that she knew the cause of the blood, the reason for the pain, she could relax. And calm Jeffrey, who had a firm hand on her shoulder, as if he was ready to pull her out of the ocean if necessary.

She turned to him. "I'm all right, Jeffrey, you can go back to sleep."

"It's morning..."

"Morning?" Annie held her abdomen in her arms and wished the pain would stop, but as she knew her body, it would be hours before she could straighten and find peace. She glanced around and realized that the sunlight had begun to seep into the bedroom.

"You okay?" He said again. "You woke up screaming. Bad dream?"

"Awful dream," she agreed, but that wasn't the reason. She screamed because she thought the blood on her hands, the blood from the dream, was real.

 _Wait... blood. In bed. On my underwear. On the nightgown. On the sheets..._

She jumped out of bed and ran to find the cloth she had for this time of the month, to pad her underwear, replace it when it was absorbed to the exhaust, wash... and repeat. The life of a woman.

She found the cloth and stepped behind the partition Shirley had given her in the past few days, and was glad to not have to go to the other room in order to change.

"Annie, what's going on?"

Oh right. Her husband was still confused.

"There's nothing to worry about," she said as she hurried to fold the cloth and arrange in her underwear, a small red stain already showing up in the center. For a moment she debated whether to tell him. Her deep-seated embarrassment delayed her, the fear that a man would know that blood was coming out from between her legs - but he was already suspicious. And as she learned with Rich - there was no point in concealing such a thing from her husband. It was only a matter of time before he would find out. "It's just... my time of the month."

"Your... time?"

Annie pulled the underwear back on, adjusted her nightgown, and went out from behind the partition. Another cramp split her from the bottom of her stomach to her diaphragm. She stumbled to bed, fell on the mattress, and laid there panting. _Just a few hours and it will pass_. "You must know what I'm talking about... you've been with women before...?" Maybe he didn't know. "Every month... a woman who isn't pregnant..."

He lay next to her and studied her closely, his brown eyes worried, wondering, and then... realization.

"Oh," Jeff said.

"Yes," she agreed.

"I mean... you," he cleared his throat.

"Yes."

"I mean, right now..."

She laughed when he couldn't go on, though the pain was still sharp. She curled up on her side, hoping it would ease the pain a bit. "Who would have thought! Jeffrey Winger, the women's expert, the sheriff who saved Greendale from the outlaws, is embarrassed by some blood!"

"That's not 'some' blood!" He protested.

"As if you'd know." Actually, he was right. But she didn't have to think logically. Not when her monthly pains were tearing her stomach.

"I don't have the slightest idea." Jeff agreed. "But I encountered this before. I didn't know it was so... painful."

"Apparently the women you knew were saints."

She glanced at him when he didn't answer, and she could almost see the thoughts rolling in his skull from one side to the other, arranging everything he knew about women in a new order. "I doubt it," he said. "I'm sorry, is it very painful?"

"Very," she exhaled. "And stop being sorry."

"Can you go to school?"

She sighed. "Probably not, I can't do much in this state. Just wait for it to pass. And if I have the energy to go to the kitchen... sometimes tea helps."

"I'll make you some tea."

"It's okay, you don't have to..." But he was already up. She smiled and closed her eyes, concentrating on deep breaths, hugging her knees to her chest.

He returned with the tea after a while. The bed sank as he sat next to her. "Can you sit up?"

Annie pulled herself to sit, leaned against the headboard, and gratefully received the tea from him. Jeff, still in his nightshirt, looked at her expectantly.

She pressed the tea to her lower abdomen and sighed as the heat provided some relief.

"Don't you want to drink it?"

"When the water will cool down."

He raised an eyebrow and she smiled a little, muttering, "Thank you, it's very kind of you to bring me tea."

"I guess that's the least I could do..." He reached to shift a stray curl from her eyes, and she retreated in a shriek. "Don't touch me! I'm disgusting."

"What? You... no." But even though he didn't agree, he got out of bed and went to get dressed. "How long until it passes?"

"For me?" She sighed. For so long she hadn't talked about it to another soul. To a man. But he had a right to know. "The pain will pass through the day, the blood... about three days."

"We've been married for more than two months," he said as he pulled the pants up his legs. "This is not the first time this happens, does it?"

"No."

"How did I not know about it?"

"The previous two you weren't home when it started. By the time you got back I was fine. You're not exactly involved in my... affairs," she blushed. "I mean, we're not intimate, you didn't need to know."

"But you hurt."

"So what?"

He finished dressing and came to sit on the bed. He gestured at her at large, at the glass still pressed to her bloated belly, at her wild hair. She tried to smooth it down with one hand, without much success. She gave up: Jeffrey had seen the tangled mane anyway.

"You don't have to suffer in silence," he said.

"I'm used to it," she shrugged, and so she wouldn't have to look at him, she picked up the tea and sipped. The water began to cool, and she drank a mouthful.

"That doesn't mean it's okay."

"That's life for you." She tried to smile, but her stomach rebelled and she groaned, leaning forward to bury her face in her knees.

She froze as she felt his hand stroking her hair, realized that he was arranging it for her, moving the strands from her face. She bit her lip and whispered, "Why are you touching me?"

"I wish you didn't hurt," he said, and she heard the sincerity in his voice, and when she looked his gaze was soft. She melted a little inside. She would have kissed him if she wasn't doubled over in pain and filthy with blood, and in addition still upset with him for things that weren't related to her monthly time.

But he had already seen the want in her eyes.

He smiled and leaned in out of habit - for it had become a habit between them since they had married - to put his mouth to hers, to take pleasure and give of his own.

She pulled back without thinking. "Jeffrey, stop, I... I _am_ disgusting. Dirty. You don't have to be kind to me now."

"You're not disgusting," he muttered, and came closer. "It's only 'some blood', remember?" He slid his hand up her neck, under her hair, his fingers caressing the spot she liked, and this time she gave in to him as he took over her lips. She stopped initiating kisses since Slater, didn't feel comfortable touching him when she didn't know if he really wanted her. But when he kissed her... she couldn't tell him no. She closed her eyes and forgot for a few minutes that there was pain in the world.

"There," he said as he pulled away. "See, I was right this time."

Annie hid behind the tea so he wouldn't see the flush in her cheeks. "I don't..." She blew out, laughing awkwardly because he didn't hesitate to touch her even though she was bleeding, and because his kiss warmed her from the inside. "Only this time? I thought you were always right?"

"I thought so too, and then I married you and after one month of arguments realized that I was wrong more often than not."

"That can't be true!" She stared at him in horror. He couldn't believe that's what she thinks of him, could he?!

"No," he laughed, and when she looked at him she realized he was teasing her. "But it's nice to know you think so."

She laughed this time, shaking her head in disbelief, and sipped some more tea.

"I'd better go," Jeff said. "Troy must be wondering where I am."

Annie sighed. "Yes..." She put the glass down on the dresser and slid back until she lay down. "Can you tell the children that there will be no school today?"

"Anything my lady asks."

Jeff waved and she smiled as he walked out of the room, his eyes on her, and the words he'd said to her before echoed in her head. _You don't have to suffer in silence_. She thought he meant: _you don't have to suffer alone._

:::

The blood still flowed the next day but the pain was mostly gone, and she was able to go to school. Not that it helped: One of the children brought a rat to school, and the girls screamed, and the boys laughed, and then the rat ran away and pages flew in the air and the girls climbed on tables and the boys competed with each other who would catch the rat first, and it took her an hour to sort out the mess that had ensued, and while it will probably be comical later when she'll tell Shirley about it, at the moment it was most unfortunate that all the studies she had planned for that day went to ruin, and it was Thursday and therefore she lost two whole days of study.

She walked to the market, wondering what food she could prepare with the least effort in her miserable state, passed the corner and bumped into someone.

And fell.

And her basket dropped and rolled away.

And Nicole said coldly, "Oh, it's you."

Annie closed her eyes and prayed to God to give her strength.

She pushed herself off the floor, and to her surprise, Nicole handed her the fallen basket.

"Hello Mrs. James," Annie said. "How are you all?"

"You all?" Nicole narrowed her eyes. "You ask about my husband?"

Annie clenched her hands at her sides. _Damnation, can she turn everything I say against me?_ Annie forced herself to open her fists and take the basket from Nicole. "No," she said with a tight smile. "I ask about you and Woody, he seemed distracted today in class." She didn't mention that it was because a rat jumped on his head. More to the point, Woody had been distracted lately.

"Woody's fine. Our whole family is bright. My brother studied in New York, you know. If Woody doesn't listen in class, I would check the teacher."

"I'm doing my best-!" Annie closed her eyes. Shouting won't help. "He's a good student, Nicole. I can tell that his mother cares about his studies. I'm only saying that lately it is a bit hard for him to pay attention. Sometimes things happen at home that are difficult on the child and he's unable to detach.. "

"How dare you suggest that inappropriate things happen in our house!"

It was the wrong thing to say. Annie's heart sank. "That's not what I meant! Sometimes brothers fight, or the parents are busy with work and children-" Annie spoke quickly, but Nicole was livid.

"Mrs. Winger, you may have snatched our sheriff, but that doesn't mean you can rest on laurels! You better check that everything is right in your own house before you throw accusations at others!"

"I'm sorry," Annie said, her chest tightening, her throat dry. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend!"

"Well, you did! Watch this man of yours very carefully, you know that once a heartbreaker, always a heartbreaker. Hold on to him tightly if you don't want him to run into another's arms!"

"Why, have you seen anything?" And now the panic was no longer merely a suggestion, but a volcano with lava that burst forth and washed her in heavy, boiling waves. _This is bad, this is worse than bad, worse than anything else he could do to me. To let them know that he isn't in my bed..._

Nicole coughed.

Annie looked up at the woman, and realized that tears obscured her image. _No, don't cry, darn you! Not in front of her! Not because of him!_

"No," Nicole said, and through her own horror, Annie heard the woman's surprise. Nicole said, "I haven't seen anything, but everyone knows he prefers his women to be married to someone else... and if you ask me, Mrs. Slater still wants him."

Annie blinked. Then she squared her shoulders. The pity in Nicole's voice helped in some way. Perhaps the fact that the woman who had defied her at every opportunity felt sorry for her, perhaps because she'd stated with absolute confidence that Jeff must be cheating, no doubt about it.

It didn't fit their story. Hers and his. They were in love. And even if Annie suspected he wasn't faithful to her, he didn't deserve that she would confirm it behind his back.

"He doesn't prefer his women married to someone else," Annie said, surprised by the calmness with which she said it. "He prefers me, Mrs. James, and I would appreciate it if you didn't slander my husband."

Nicole stared at her.

Annie wiped the tears from the corner of her eye. "Woody, he's... gentle, you see? Check, maybe it's just a fight between brothers. I know that he greatly appreciates his older brother, and if they quarreled it could affect him so much that it would interfere with his studies. Check, alright?"

And because the strange calmness still enveloped her, she stepped forward and put her hand on Nicole's shoulder, who flinched but didn't run.

"He is a good boy. Check."

Nicole nodded, and only then did Annie let her go.

She grabbed the basket and turned her back to the stunned woman, clenching her teeth. _And now I know what people think_.

:::

"Miss Annie, how lovely to see you here!"

"You too, Troy."

Jeff awoke from his nap, pushed the hat off his eyes and took his feet off the table. It was Friday morning. What is Annie doing here?

"What brings you to us?" Troy asked in the other room. "Did you bring us cookies?"

"No, but I do come from Shirley. She asked me to call you. She thinks someone is stealing her silver."

"Well, this sounds urgent. So urgent that there is no time to bake cookies for law-keepers of this town..."

"I'm sorry about the cookies, Troy."

Troy sighed exaggeratedly. Jeff rose from his chair, stretched.

"Miss Annie, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"It's about Jeff..."

 _What would Troy want to ask her about me?_

Jeff tensed. _What had Troy recently learned which concerns Annie?_

 _Don't let him finish the sentence!_

Jeff raced through the door, found Annie standing in front of Troy in the other room, her head tilted to the side, grabbed her hand and pulled her into the office as if his life depended on it. "Annie! Good, you're here! You must come to the office for a minute!"

"Why?"

Troy said, "Relax, boss, you saw her this morning."

Jeff shot daggers from his eyes at Troy and closed the door behind them. Then he notice how dark the room was, since he had closed the curtains so the sun wouldn't disturb his nap.

Annie looked at him. "What did you want?..."

What did he want? What _did_ he want? That Troy wouldn't disclose the things he had told him about her. That Troy wouldn't push his nose in his business and try to mend their relationship with all the gentleness of a bull in a glass shop. But now he was standing next to Annie in the darkened office, and there wasn't the slightest idea in his mind to explain to her what was so important a moment ago.

He did the only thing he could think of: pulled her to him and kissed her as if he had accepted this task from the bloody President himself.

Annie made a small sound of surprise, but she grabbed his shoulders and turned her face, to improve the angle of her mouth against his. He almost smiled with relief, but now, to his surprise, he had a woman in his arms and a dark room, and her lips were eager and her body was soft and full of curves, and desire fell upon him like a sunset in the winter - faster than he expected.

He bent his knees, grabbed under her bum and hoisted her, and didn't take his lips off her for a moment. She laughed in surprise as he stood up, her feet parting from the ground, and the sound of her laughter fanned the flames at the pit of his stomach.

Annie wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him with the same hunger, the same desperation he felt a few minutes ago - to conceal his secrets from her, but now he was desperate for something else: her. Trembling in his arms with pleasure. Without restrictions and without barriers.

"Jeff..." Annie almost whimpered as he kissed her face, her cheeks, under her ear, down the length of her pale neck, gleaming even in the dim light of the office.

A bed. He needed a bed.

 _There is no bed in the office._

 _Table?_

He walked with her to the table before realizing that if he sat her at the table he would have to lose the touch of her stomach with his, and that was the opposite of what he wanted.

 _One of the chairs?_

He gave up and pinned her to the wall by the office door, and despite her endless skirts, he managed to settle into her lap. His lips and teeth traveled across the expanse from her neck to her cleavage line, the line that began to drop again these days. He liked this cleavage line, which allowed his eyes to enjoy the rise of her chest over the dress, and now let his mouth study the texture of the soft flesh. Annie crossed her legs around him as best she could, but there were still hefty amounts of cloth between them. Damn, he hated those skirts.

He told her so.

"I know," Annie gasped. "Do you want me to take them off?"

Why would she want to do that?

 _Why wouldn't you want her to do that?_

Jeff realized that his hands were cupping her bum and his face was buried in her cleavage, and his body thought he was going to undress her and take her in the office.

 _Sleep with her in the office. How low will you go._

Annie muttered, "If that's what you want," and pulled his face to look at her. Forcing him to look. He obeyed her; watched her wide eyes surrounded by dark eyelashes, her darn perfect cheeks, her lips open with a shallow breath and swollen from the careless kiss he gave her. The redness that his stubble marked on her skin. The expression in her eyes: asking, hungry. A silent plea that he won't ignore her. She was still locked between his body and the wall, her breasts crushed against his chest, rising and falling with her quick breath, her arms around his neck.

What a bloody mess he has made of everything.

He kissed the corner of her mouth, gently this time, and her lower lip. He closed his eyes as he kissed her slowly, moved his body away from her and placed her on the floor. The movement forced him to bend over to kiss her, to put distance between them. _Innocent kisses only, like school kids. Lips and nothing more_. But it wasn't: Annie wouldn't let go of his neck, and he found it hard to leave her waist.

His pants we're too tight. His shirt suffocating. It hurt to get away from her.

"Jeff," Annie murmured as he pulled away in order to breathe, and laid his forehead on hers. "Is that what was so important in the office?"

On the other side of the door there was a throat-clearing so loud that it couldn't possibly be for clearing's sake. _Bloody Troy_.

"Maybe we should go see what Ms. Bennett wants," Troy said aloud from the other room, "seeing as it was so urgent."

Annie giggled, and her easy laughter sounded like a lie to him. She patted his cheek. "You better go," she whispered to him. "Shirley is worried."

He choked back the words _I'm sorry_ before he uttered them. _What the hell are you apologizing for?_

He opened the door and gestured to the other, brighter room. "M'lady," he said to Annie with a smile that was supposed to be his charming smile, but it was hard to feel charming at the moment. Not when his arms were still eager to hold her and his body was in urgent need of a cold shower, and he was consumed by guilt for disappointing her for one reason and himself for another. But he stretched his cheeks and smiled.

Annie lowered her flushed face, murmured, "M'lord," and left the room. He watched as she walked straight to the exit and never looked back.

When his mind came back, he found that Troy was also looking after her.

Jeff growled, deep in his throat.

"Let's go."

:::

"So you still haven't taken my advice?"

"What advice?" Jeff growled.

Troy said, "You're still being an idiot."

Jeff didn't think it was worth a response, so he walked briskly toward the inn while Troy ran after him to catch up. Let him run.

"You understand that apart from you, no one in the world can understand why you act like this?"

"I told you why."

"Because somehow you convinced yourself that it would be selfish, but it's not, she wants you too!"

"Troy, shut it."

"But you-" Troy halted. "You don't mean that."

Jeff clenched his jaw.

"Okay, keep suffering, see if I care. Do I care? No, I don't."

To Jeff's relief, they reached the inn, and Shirley was already at the doorstep. He raised his hat and nodded at her. "Mrs. Bennett."

"Hello Sheriff, Mr. Barnes."

Troy stopped, stared at her, then made a whole show of folding his hands on his chest and facing away. Jeff glowered. _What new crap is this?_

He turned to Shirley. "Ms. Bennet, what's the problem?"

"I've lost four silver tablespoons in the last few days. It can't be a coincidence."

"Where did they disappear from?"

Troy made a sound like a wounded animal.

"Troy," Jeff said through clenched teeth, "Whatever the reason for this behavior, stop it immediately."

Shirley said, "Mr. Barnes, is everything all right?"

Troy exploded. "How could you send Miss Annie to the sheriff and not bring us cookies?"

Jeff turned to him in disbelief. "Seriously? That's your problem, cookies?!"

"Oh no you won't!" Troy waved uncontrollably. "You get to be an idiot but I can't have some delicious cookies that I rightly deserve?"

Shirley asked, "Why is Jeff an idiot?"

Jeff had time for one stupid question at a time. He turned to Shirley. "So the spoons..."

"The tablespoons."

"The cookies!"

"Troy, _so help me God_..."

A fourth voice joined them, and Jeff turned his head to the street, to Abed who was running to them, waving a newspaper. "Breaking news! Breaking news! Stop everything and listen to me!"

The lad came over and leaned on Troy's shoulder, panting loudly. "Urgent news!" He waved the paper at Jeff's face, who's squandered the last bit of patience he had for the day. He snatched the paper and looked for the news Abed was hollering about. He found nothing out of the ordinary.

Abed said, "Ah, it's not in the newspaper yet, but I thought it would make a greater impression if I held a newspaper in my hand."

Jeff barely suppressed the urge to pull out a knife and use it to kill. Fortunately for Abed, his knife was back at the office.

"What happened?" Troy asked.

Abed said, "Do you know how the Indians have been rioting lately?"

Shirley approached them, concern etched on her face. "Yes?"

Abed said, "Anyway, we are now at war with Mexico!"

"Really?" Troy wondered. "What's Mexico's problem?"

"Come on, Troy!" Abed exclaimed. "Don't you know anything about what's going on in the country?"

"No, you're the one telling me everything! You with your newspaper!"

Abed grabbed both of Troy's shoulders, and said with self-importance: "Troy, do you know what that means?"

Troy looked at his friend's face. "No...?" Then he turned to look at Jeff as if he knew all the answers.

 _War_ , Jeff thought. _We're in a frigging war again_. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, and finally answered Troy.

"It means people are going to die."

:::

Annie lit the lamps all over the house. Jeff hadn't come back yet, and it was just fine.

She checked the cloth in her underwear, and sighed when she saw it was clean. Another cycle has come and gone. If her underwear was clean, it meant that Jeff and she could have done the deed in his office. Not that she would have. Well, she wanted him, she wanted them, but...

Her feelings were like a ball of wool the cat had played with: tangled, knotted, and almost impossible to loosen.

Today he crossed the line. Today the offense was too great.

At first, when they just got married, she agreed to the pace he dictated - kisses, light touches, and nothing more. She had been frustrated for years, so she knew how to cope with the physical part. But it was no longer just physical frustration, but real pain in her heart, every time he moved away from her, every time he rejected her. _No. We should stop. Annie..._

He couldn't decide whether he wanted her or not, and his indecision wounded her. She couldn't take it anymore. And she would tell him this: if he didn't want to touch her, then he shouldn't touch her at all.

She cooked dinner for one, as she'd gotten used to do in the last week, since he'd stopped coming home in the evenings. The potatoes softened in the pot and she turned off the fire.

"Annie, are you here?"

Her heart skipped. _Jeff_. Jeff was home, and it wasn't night yet. She heard the door close behind him.

She took the pot off the stove and turned to face him. _Tell him_.

"Jeff," she began. "I need to talk to you."

"Have you heard the news yet?" He said from the living room.

She blinked. "What news?"

He went into the kitchen, in two strides of his long legs he was beside her. "You've made dinner?"

"Just for me," she said, frowning. "You don't come home in the evenings, so there isn't enough for both of us."

He nodded. And he stood too close, looking at her with an emotion she couldn't decipher. Perhaps yearning. Perhaps sadness. Perhaps she was imagining things.

"Jeffrey," Annie took a deep breath. "I have to say this. What happened today..."

"We are at war," he interrupted.

"What?" She stood near the counter and now reached out to hold onto it. "War?"

"Mexico has declared war on us," Jeff repeated. "The news came today. And in a week a government representative will come to recruit the able-bodied men to fight."

"In a week?"

"Yes, and Annie... I'll probably be recruited."

War. Blood everywhere. She dreamed of it. She fell back, and fortunately the chair at the table caught her with a resounding thud. "You'll be recruited?"

"Yes, most likely. I'm able, healthy and strong, and I've lead men before." He stopped. "Annie, are you all right?"

She couldn't look at him. Not after the dream, not after Rich. "You'll die," she muttered, staring at the table. Seeing before her eyes the men who returned from the war broken and lacking. And those who didn't return.

"What?"

"If you go to war, you'll die. Good men who go to war don't come back. "

Jeff snorted, as if she said that pigs fly. "I won't die." She could almost hear him rolling his eyes.

"Jeffrey."

"Will you look at me for _one damn moment_?"

Her eyes rounded at the swear, and she looked up at him. He was still standing by the stove, looking more upset than he'd been in a long time. "Excuse me?"

Jeff repeated, the irritation in his voice fading as she met his eyes, "I won't die! The fact that Rich did doesn't mean I will!"

"You can't know that!"

"Neither do you!"

"You can't promise me that! No one can guarantee such a thing. That's what war does. It makes people break their promises."

Jeff groaned. "Why do you always have to be so right?"

"I'm not always-"

"I can't promise you I won't die, true, but I can assure you this: I'll do anything to come back."

Annie studied his face. This frustrating, dear man. This stubborn man, whose good heart was the most pleasant surprise she had encountered in recent years. He tried to protect her, even when he couldn't.

Annie moistened her lips. "But what if... What if you don't succeed?"

"I'll succeed," he said, and she believed it was his stubbornness talking, because the next moment his determination broke and he looked away. "And if not... maybe it won't be so bad."

"What?" She couldn't believe her ears.

"Maybe it's better this way," Jeff repeated, and now he looked straight at her. "You're better off without me. You could finally be rid of me."

"You can't actually believe I'd be better off if you die!"

"I do," he said, rubbing his eyes. "And you will too, if you stop to think about it. If I die, you can marry again, find a good husband, one who wants children…"

It pierced her heart. _A husband who wants children_. But he was wrong. "All this is fine and well, but it won't be a possibility for me."

"Why not? You're still young, beautiful. Clever. Able to run a home and still work. There will be many interested."

He just didn't understand. "There'll be no one interested, Jeffrey," she raised her voice, "because I'll be a widow twice. Do you understand what that means? Not a widow once, but twice. I'll be the widow who killed her husbands. The woman who sent her husbands to die in war. Once a widow can choose as she wishes. A double widow... is bad luck. No man will agree to marry such a dangerous woman."

"Do you think any man with half a brain will believe that?"

"I know that." She held his eyes and said, trying to convince him of the words she knew in her bones: "And you know that too... Any man who wants to marry me will have to be crazy... or desperate. No good man is waiting for me after you die, Jeffrey Winger."

His brown eyes told her that this time he believed her.

What was she going to do? She lowered her eyes to the table. _If there's a time to cry, it's now_. He's going to war, where men go to die. But the tears didn't come.

He's going away, and there would be no other husbands, no children... She saw her whole life unfolding before her eyes, and it was filled with a bitter sense of missed opportunity.

"I won't have any children," Annie whispered to herself.

"Annie..."

"Don't talk to me like that." Annie was sick of pity. "You won't sleep with me. And in a week you'll leave me to go to war. She's a bad mistress, war. She'll take you away from me. No one will marry me. And I'm not desperate enough to want my children to be bastards." And to think she meant to tell him to stop touching her.

"Annie, you know why I don't want us to sleep together..."

"I don't know, in fact, it's not clear to me at all. Maybe it made sense once, but it got lost long ago. And now it seems to me that you insist only on principle, and God help me if I know what this principle is." She stood up, hating this argument. It was pointless.

"I'm going to bed."

"Without dinner?"

"I've lost my appetite." He can eat what she prepared for herself.

She passed by him without looking at him, and though the tears didn't come, her chest felt restricted. She stopped at the door of the kitchen and turned to Jeff to tell him one last thing. Jeff looked as though he was going to approach her, but she raised her hand to stop him. "You decided for both of us that we wouldn't have children. I hope you are at peace with this decision." She studied his face, waiting for an answer.

"Annie..." Jeff said. "I would like to give my child the best future, but as you said... it's impossible to keep promises."

Annie suddenly remembered why he didn't want to get married. "Is it because of your father?"

Jeff sighed. "That too. My mother told me he was a fine man when they married, so why did he change after I was born? Who can promise I won't be as bad as he was?"

"Me!" Annie said, and when he raised his eyebrows doubtfully, she felt her cheeks grow hot. "I mean... Jeff, you haven't run away yet, even though I thought you'd give up on our marriage sooner, you're still here. And I think you don't want to go."

"Our marriage..." Jeff said slowly, "is only ostensibly."

And here he was again, her frustrating man. "It's not! The vows I swore to you were real! A priest declared us husband and wife! And I have a ring to prove it!" She waved the hand with the ring that adorned her middle finger every day since Jeff had bought it for her. "For me, this marriage is real. The only thing that prevents us from being married in the eyes of God is the fact that we haven't consummated our marriage!"

"But you didn't choose me."

"Maybe not in the first place, but now we're married! And darn it, I'd like you to believe it just as much as I do!"

"Annie... I can't just... It won't be right..."

"I know," she waved. "I've heard that enough times. You don't want to be with me, you don't want me as your wife, it's fine. But don't explain to me that it's because of some principle."

"Annie, you know I want you..."

"I don't know anything, because you don't tell me anything."

"Annie. Of course I want you." He looked at her intently, and she didn't know why he thought it would solve anything.

"And-?"

He swallowed. "But it would be wrong if we..."

Annie groaned from the bottom of her heart. If anger was heat, the house would have gone up in flames because of her. "Good night, Jeffrey." She turned and stomped upstairs to the bedroom.

Jeff didn't follow her.

:::

In order to avoid doing something as foolish as to follow her, he left the house.

Jeff walked through the town streets as the sun set, brooding, kicking the ground. _She doesn't understand. It's for her own good_. He wants her, of course he wants her! How did she not know? She doesn't understand how much energy it takes for him not to sleep with her?! To do the right thing?

He found himself outside Pierce's saloon. _Alcohol might be a good idea_. He entered.

"Jeff, how are you, old pal?"

Arrgh, Pierce. Jeff twisted his lips and sat down at the counter, telling the woman behind it, "Scotch, please."

"What size glass?"

"Bring the whole bottle."

The woman brought the bottle without a question, and he began to drink, savoring the sharp sting of the liquid in his throat.

 _Of course I want her_ , he went back to his thoughts before he entered the saloon. He painfully wanted her, more than any woman he had ever wanted in his life. He wanted her so much that her smell alone made his body harden with desire. Wanted her so much that his dreams were full of her, and therefore he couldn't handle his reality being filled with her too. So much so that he stopped coming home in the evenings so he wouldn't be alone with her at home when she was awake. He didn't trust himself to keep his hands to himself. When she came to the office to bring him food, he thought they would be safe there. That the building itself would keep him in check, because Jeff never thought he would make love to a woman in the sheriff's office, where anyone could open the door, where there wasn't even a bed. But when she came today... he almost did it. He was too weak. But all his efforts were in vain; she was cross with him anyway.

"Jeff!" A hand landed forcibly on his shoulder and must have left a red mark on his skin, and Pierce sat down on the high stool next to Jeff. "What brings you to us at this hour? I would have expected you to be home with the lady!"

Jeff didn't want to answer that. He gulped his whiskey.

"I mean, with the war looming, you can see my saloon is empty," Pierce said. "Men prefer to be at home today."

Jeff glanced over his shoulder out of sheer curiosity: the saloon was indeed emptier than usual.

"Trouble in paradise?" Pierce asked.

"Pierce, I don't want to talk about it," Jeff said, recognizing that if he didn't respond Pierce would keep on pestering him.

"Oh, I see." The older man nodded. "Marriage is hard. Having a beautiful young wife is even harder. Other men don't get that."

Which meant that Pierce had been married to a woman younger than him. It was to be expected, but the comparison between them got on his nerves. "Pierce, our situation is nothing alike."

"On the contrary, my friend. On the contrary. Maybe it will help to unload your troubles to someone who understands."

The last man Jeff wanted to tell about his troubles was Pierce. He had regretted almost immediately what he told Troy, and Troy was a half-decent guy.

"They want too much," Pierce said. "Too much, too fast. Nothing satisfies them."

"Annie isn't like that," Jeff grumbled. She didn't push him at first, only gave. Cleaned his house. Added decorations, sofas. Made delicious food. Made him want to go back home every day.

Kissed him and cuddled with him and drew circles on his skin until he fell asleep, turning his bed into his favorite place.

"It always seems that way at first. They display a sweet front until you are caught in the net, and then BAM! They make their demands."

Annie didn't expect anything from him at first. But then she began to pull him by the nose. _I think you're attractive, Jeff. I want us to be together_. She waited for him to be calm and complacent before landing the bitter blow: _I want kids Jeff. I'll be a great mother_.

"Annie isn't... she's not like that," he said to himself, staring at the half-emptied bottle.

Pierce pushed a glass in his direction and said, "Drink some water, pal, so you don't get up with a headache tomorrow. At our age we have to be more careful with our bodies. "

Jeff snarled. _At our age. Ha!_ But he drank the water before returning to his Scotch.

"She's gorgeous, your lady," Pierce said. "A true Southern Belle, with eyes and body to justify the name. I don't blame you for falling in her trap."

Jeff got nauseated when Pierce spoke of her this way, noting exactly what parts of her body he meant. Such comments were the reason he stopped going to Pierce's saloon.

"It's the most beautiful ones that fool us."

"She didn't fool me," Jeff muttered. "She just wants different things than me." Things he didn't know when they got married. But neither of them thought that far ahead back then. "That's why I didn't want to get married," he said to the almost empty bottle. "People make each other miserable because they don't want the same things."

"What does she want that you don't?"

Jeff's mouth spoke before he could stop it. "Children."

"Oh," Pierce said. "The C word."

Jeff rolled his eyes and finished his bottle. The bartender was kind enough to bring him another bottle and open it for him.

Pierce said quietly, "I understand." And the sadness in his voice was so different from his usual manner that Jeff had to look at him. The silver-haired man looked full of longing, remorse in the wrinkles around his mouth. "I was like that too. I thought I'd be forever young. That kids would only slow me down. And to this day my greatest regret is that I don't have children."

 _Is that supposed to convince me? Pierce is the last person who should have children._ The thought of little Pierces running around turned his bowels. _It's for the best that he has no children._ Jeff turned to finish the second bottle.

"After all, I have the money. I can raise a child that will never know shortage. I could support a bunch of children. I always wondered what my life would've looked like if I had children twenty years ago... They would have been adults by now. I could have talked to them. They could have helped me in the saloon, or follow their hearts and be anything they want. Bankers. Cowboys. Senators. They could have been amazing." Pierce spoke thoughtfully, and Jeff found himself involuntarily imagining Annie's children, dark-haired and blue-eyed, fair-skinned and quick-thinking. The girls would be as beautiful and sweet as her. The boys would be as capable and strong as him and will protect their sisters. And even if they didn't like him, and even if he died in the war, they would always have Annie, who would take care of them and guide them to the right choices.

Why are his eyes wet?

"But my time has passed," Pierce said. "I won't have any children, you know why." He clicked his tongue and nodded at his privates. "Not because of incompetence," Pierce added. "But I'm too old. I lost my chance."

"She doesn't need my children," Jeff said bitterly. "She needs the children of a good man, like her previous husband. The priest. She can't stop praising him." But he knew it was unfair to her. She hardly spoke of him, but every time she did Jeff thought the same thing: _I'd never be as good as he was_. He gulped some more Scotch.

"But he's dead," Pierce said, "and you're the man who's warming her bed now."

"Not right now," Jeff muttered.

"And whose fault is that?" Pierce laughed and patted Jeff on the back. Jeff was pushed to the counter and spat the whiskey out of his mouth. "Damn it, Pierce!"

"Forgive me. Sadie, clean this up . And get Jeff something to snack," Pierce told the bartender. Jeff wanted to hate him, but he couldn't. He was the source of his own misery. She wants children, that's what will make her happy, why does he refuse her?

He wanted to do the right thing. The good thing for her. He didn't want to take advantage of her.

 _It isn't taking advantage if you give her what she wants most: children._

Maybe she was right. Maybe there really wouldn't be any man to marry her after the war. War had a habit of thinning the ranks of men, and those who remained behind weren't always the Crème de la crème. Any man who follows him will be less than he. And Annie wasn't the one to settle on a husband.

In fact, if he didn't sleep with her... he would deprive her of what she wanted most.

Jeff stood from the stool.

"Where are you going?" Pierce said. "Sadie hasn't brought you food yet."

"Don't get it," Jeff said. He found it hard to stand still, and blinked repeatedly. His eyes felt too dry. Maybe he went too far with the Scotch this time. But for the first time in a long time, he felt his mind clear and clean of influences. "Pierce, I need... I need to ask you something."

"Ask, my friend."

"You're not... you're not married now, are you?"

"True. But not because I didn't want to. I just didn't find the right woman."

Pierce won't go to war. He's too old. His belly precedes him. "If I had died in the war..." It was hard to talk, but he had to ask. "Would you- would you have married Annie?"

Pierce's eyes widened and he put his hand on Jeff's shoulder. "Jeffrey, it's a great honor to know you're asking me, but..." Jeff held his breath in anticipation of the rest. "But I couldn't touch her. No matter how beautiful she is, and I do like her, I would think twice before marrying a woman whose two husbands had died in the same way. You have to be smart about these things."

Damn it. She was right.

And Troy was right too: he was an idiot.

He needed to fix this.

"Thank you, Pierce," Jeff said. And though alcohol blurred the edges of his vision, he had to say something. "And just be clear," He raised a forefinger in the air and waved it in front of Pierce's nose. "The last thing I'd.. I'd want is for you to marry Annie... if I die." His tongue was heavy in his mouth, but it had to be said. "And if you talk about her... like that... ever again, you and I will have to.. have words." He waved his finger between Pierce and him, and meant it with all seriousness that his alcohol-filled brain could muster.

"Jeffrey, I didn't mean any harm, my good friend. Only wanted to help."

Jeff stared at Pierce's oblong face, blinked and said in surprise, "And help you did. Thank you... good night."

"Where are you going?"

"Home... Pierce. To my... beautiful young wife... who you will never touch."

"Of course not, Jeff..."

"Good night." Jeff touched his hat and nodded to the bartender, then to Pierce, and went out into the cool night air feeling lighter. He made a choice.

:::

"Annie! Annie... Wake up!"

She winced when the alcohol stench hit her nose, then a large hand shook her shoulder. "Annie, I have to- tell you something!"

She relaxed. _It's just Jeff_.

She sat up in bed in the dark and turned to face him. His torso was lying on the mattress beside her, his legs dangling from the side of the bed. "What's the matter, Jeff?" Her voice was hoarse with sleep, and she hoped he hadn't awakened her just to give her more terrible news.

"Annie, let's... let's do it!"

She nodded. His speech was fragmented for a clear reason: he was utterly drunk. And although she had never seen him like this, and was deterred at first, she wasn't afraid of him in this state. "Alright."

Somehow he recognized that she didn't mean it. "I'm serious! Let's do it! Let's make... make a baby together!"

"Make a baby?" Annie pressed her fingers to Jeff's forehead, to check if he was delirious with fever, and his smile was so broad that even in the dark she could detect it. "You mean...?"

"That we should... sleep together! You and me! You want a child... don't you?"

Annie laughed. "I think we've established that."

"We've ebstabli... estalish... estabishd..." he gave up. "...What?"

Annie shook her head. She can't talk to him when he's like that. "Yes, Jeff, I want a child."

"And I'm still here! They hav… haven't recruited me yet! So let's… let's do it!"

"What changed your mind?" She had to ask.

"I..." His mouth fell open, and he looked incredibly silly with his lower lip hanging like that. And handsome as the devil, his brown hair falling over his eyes. "I want to be... good for you, Annie. You deserve it..."

It warmed her heart. Annie reached out and stroked his cheek, holding his face in her palm. "That's sweet of you, Jeff." And she meant it, even though the smell of alcohol poured out of him in waves and made her want to flee the room.

Jeff smiled boyishly, rose and slid on the bed, and she realized with horror that he was going to kiss her. She covered his mouth with her hand and asked intently, "What are you doing?!"

"I'm... making love to you!"

Annie pushed him firmly. "We're not going to make love now, Jeff."

He looked like a student who had suffered a particularly sharp reprimand. "Why not? I thought... I thought that's what you wanted!"

"True, but not now. Jeff, you're drunk like a fish."

It took a few seconds after she said the words until his mind grasped them, and then he nodded. "You're right, Annie..." He pulled his legs to lay over the blanket, and didn't try to get any closer. "Annie, you're so... smart. And beautiful." Annie smiled and lay down again, resting her cheek on the pillow. He was drunk, but she was pretty sure he wasn't going to change his mind when he sobered up. "Have I ever told you... that you're beautiful?" Jeff was still muttering, his eyelids fluttering. "Smart... and beautiful. And you have beautiful cheeks..."

Then he fell asleep.

Annie stayed awake and looked at him for a while, just to make sure it wasn't a dream. Before she finally fell asleep, she pondered how she got the most wonderful and frustrating man she ever met.

But she wouldn't replace him for anyone else.

:::

AN: Now, that's what I'm talking about!

SO... next chapter will feature some lemons, methinks. Because, you know.

What did you think of Pierce's cameo? Has anyone really missed him? I didn't. But he has his moments, I guess.

War is no joke, guys. And apparently it's the only way I could think of to force Jeff to come to his senses. A frigging war.

Speaking of frigging... I think it's funny how I write about *ahem* _doing it_ , but can't bring myself to let them say f***ing. Or even write it in the author notes.

lastly... let me mention the benefits of revising a book: if I would ever go back and revise this (which I doubt), I'll probably have them having a partition way sooner. Also, I might change the references in the previous chapters about Indians, to match the oncoming war with Mexico, which I only learned about after posting the chapter... But as it is, I have no choice but to embrace the continuity errors. Did you catch Abed's joke about that?

R&R and DFTBA


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